My Deliverance
by ThisBurningHeart
Summary: Serena is normal everything. She's normal height, has normal friends, gets normal grades, and is normally depressed. Nothing can free her from the tangled web of emotions brought on from troublesome past relationships... until now. Hardcore FeelGoodStory.
1. So Help My Heart

Despair. Loneliness. Inadequacy. Failure. Rejection. My life, ina nutshell folks. That's right, I'm the one that hit the ground running, and tripped over my own feet. Ever feel like the world is perfect, but you're not? Everyone else can achieve this happy state of mind, and you're stuck feeling like you're just, there….existing. You feel like you are the only one who knows you, and that nothing, nothingcould save you from your disgustingly mediocre life. I'm not lying.There was nothing wrong with my life. There was just nothing right init. People are just so obscenely ignorant to your pain, because you'rethis easy going person who "was just so passionate". To this day, I don't know why I was so distraught, andaggravated. I guess it was a whole bunch of things, compiling togetherto form this massive entanglement of minor problems that continuallypersisted. The only thing I do know is that I was saved. Partly by myself, partly not, but I found my strength in the most unlikely placeyou could think of; someone else's heart. This is my story.

It was a rather dark day in September. The wind howled with a ferocity that had seldom been matched in days prior. The sky wasn't the only thing that was dark, however. Serena McGinnis felt just as dark at this exact moment. She sat gloomily in her math class, trying to ignore the apocalyptic feeling that washed over her as her teacher handed back the other days assignment. It was placed on her desk rather brusquely, upside down. Timidly, she turned over the sheet, not really knowing if she wanted to be doing this. Red circles abundantly covered her paper, this was not looking good.

And there it was. At the top in large red numbers was her score. 5/10. Fifty percent. FIFTY PERCENT? What was her problem? Serena used to be so good at math. Now it was like there was always something on her homework that was out of wack. She knew for a fact that she was smarter than many of the students in her class. But why was she pulling these low scores then?

Frustrated, Serena let her head fall to her hands. This situation had a nasty habit of repeating itself. For the remainder of the class period, nothing the teacher said infiltrated her head. This further made the situation worse, because she didn't learn the new material nearly as thoroughly as she could have, had she been able to bring herself to pay attention to the lecture.

The bell rang a short while later and she exited the classroom, her head spinning. She rounded the corner to go to her locker, and was surprised to see an unfamiliar piece of paper tacked to the outside of her door. As she neared, she could tell that it was an envelope. Serena ripped it off the door. The outside of it read, "McGinnis". She opened it, and found a hand written note inside.

_McGinnis- _

_After reviewing the steady decline in your grades recently, I __felt complied to ask you if you would be interested in tutoring __sessions several days a week after school. The tutor would most likely __be a fellow student. These meetings would undoubtedly be kept __confidential. Please contact me tomorrow morning about your decision, __for the sessions could start as early as tomorrow after school._

_Mr. Roudron_

Serena read it quickly, and immediately regretted it. This was almost completely out of the question. She had too much pride to think that she could ever possibly need to be tutored. She had never had a problem in her life, why was this starting now? What in the hell was she supposed to do?

She stuffed the note haphazardly into her backpack, and left the building at a fast walk. Serena knew that she was supposed to meet some friends after school for a milkshake, but she couldn't bring herself to have a good time right now. She needed to be alone, to think. Punching Mina's number into her cell phone, she quickly was greeted by her cheery voice.

"Serena Kay where ARE you! I thought we were meeting outside of the south entrance and walking together! Do you want to just meet there? That'd be totally fine, the rest of the girls are with me I'm sure the-"

"Mina, I'm not going, I'm really sorry," She interrupted. It sounded bad even to her, but Serena had long since given up on using excuses to get out of doing things with people. If she didn't want to go, or suddenly didn't feel up to it, she said so. It was the fair and honest truth, even if it sounded a bit rude.

"You're not?" Mina asked, a bit bewildered. Serena sighed.

"Look, something came up; tell the guys I'm really sorry. I'll be online or something later, I just need to do something for my math class," It was generally true.

"Alright, well…..listen, I'll talk to you about it tomorrow morning okay? Doesn't sound like a simple homework assignment, you wouldn't cancel on us for that." Serena smiled slightly. Mina knew her pretty darn well.

"Sure. Seeya later, Mins."

"Yep, bye."

Her phone clicked shut, and she pocketed it. It felt good to have that off her chest. She had no work tonight, no homework, nothing to do. That was how she needed it to be. She came up on her house in the next 5 or 10 minutes. She walked around the cement driveway to the cement patio, and entered through the back screen door, placing her in the kitchen of the McGinnis family.

Her mother was obviously downstairs, for she could hear a number of harsh clanking sounds and buzzes coming from the laundry room. She shouted a hello, not really knowing if she could hear her. With that, she took the steps to the upper level two at a time, and was in her room with the door shut with record speed. Her canvas pack fell to the floor with a heavy thud, and Serena rolled her shoulders around while rummaging through a stack of CD's. She wanted something that suited her mood, and with a glance outside at the dark grey sky, decided that bleak and heavy was the way to go.

Collapsing on her bed from mental exhaustion, she let herself drift while contemplating the newly formed situation. Hours later, Serena sat on her window seat, the windows wide open, allowing the cold, biting air to blow freely inside. The night had gone by surprisingly fast. It was amazing how something like this could affect her entire mood. She felt incredibly depressed, yet nothing was really wrong. Sure there was the occasional problem with her friends not understanding, or her job annoying her for no apparent reason, but that couldn't be enough to make her feel like this. She felt like one of those melodramatic people who acted like their life was the worst it could ever be. Yet, Serena Kay could not, for the life of her, break herself from this feeling of despair, emptiness, and inadequacy. The fact that this was bothering her was even more annoying than the problem itself.

A part of Serena knew what was missing, what had caused this. How she could let one person have such a hold over her, she didn't know. She also didn't know how to fix it, or whether she should fix it. Her eyes burned as she stared out at the stars, looking for guidance. He was her one, her only. He was her love, and now her friend. Or rather,she was his. Stupidly enough, she had once loved him. At least, she thought she had. Ex boyfriends did not make good friends.

Her aggravation suddenly exploded in a fit, and she stood on her window seat, screaming out the open window into the night. She sobbed hysterically, sliding down the wall, not trying to fight back. She didn't know how long it was before she fell asleep.

Serena made the decision that night, in her dreams. When she awoke the next morning, she knew instantaneously what she was going to do. She hadn't even thought about it, weighed out the options, or asked for an opinion. She just knew. She also decided, naturally, that she was going to sleep in that morning, for she needed it. Clambering out of bed with only 10 minutes before she had to leave the house, was most definitely, the right decision. Somehow, she managed to dress, wash and dry, pack, and fix her hair in this timeframe. She even grabbed a granola bar on the way out the door. It was good, too, chocolate and some other flavor.

The walk to school went relatively quickly. She met up with Mina halfway there, who seemed intent on uncovering what Serena had been doing yesterday.

"What's going on?" She sounded curious more than anything.

"You know how my math grade hasn't been so hot?" Serena reminded her. Mina nodded, a crease forming in between her eyes.

"Well, I have decided that I'm going to get a tutor. I can't focus on my own, even if I understand it. I need someone there who can help me do that, I think. It was Roudron's idea….the schmo, but I am going to tell him this morning that it's a go," Mina had been oh-ing and yeah-ing through the whole thing, and now spoke.

"I don't know why you didn't do it sooner, with so much stuff you have going on, I'd have thought you would have cracked a long time ago."

"I didn't crack, Mina…besides, I don't have a lot of "stuff" going on," Serena defended. She didn't know why she thought that. Mina shrugged, and shook her head once.

"Seems like it to me, anyway. And by crack, I mean finally give in to having someone help you out. It's definitely not your style."

"As if I didn't know…"

"It's also not your style to need a tutor in the first place. My god Serena, if you need a tutor, I need my own institution."

"I don't know what my problem is," The two had entered the school, and were walking down the black and white tiled halls towards Roudron's classroom. Mina continued to gab until they reached the doorway. Serena motioned for her to stay outside. Mr. Roudron was sitting at his desk, grading a stack of papers with that dreaded red pen. Serena knocked on the open door, and he looked up.

"McGinnis, good-morning," he said curtly.

"Erm…yeah, you too. I came in here to talk to you about the uh…," Serena lost her voice, as she attempted to speak the word.

"I see you received my notice about the study sessions. Have you made a decision?"

"Yeah."

"You have?" he arched an eyebrow in a manner that made Serena a bit angry.

"Yes…I'd like to do it. I can't seem to learn the best from the classroom, no offense," She stated truthfully. She could hear the bustle of students outside, and prayed that one of them wouldn't walk in, or overhear this conversation.

"I see. Well, very good. I'd like you to meet your tutor in the Advanced Physics room after school this afternoon. Do you know where that is?" he asked in a manner that made Serena more than a bit angry.

"I had it last term," she replied through clenched teeth.

"Excellent," He smiled, a handsome, yet odd smile. Serena would guess that the guy was about 25 or so, new out of college, but he was just plain weird sometimes. Too bad he couldn't be like most young teachers, hip and exciting. That mockery he had hinted at didn't get him on her good side.

"I'll be there, then," she shot, with a bit more bite than intended. He merely raised his eyebrows quickly, the same strange hint of a smile playing at his face. With that, she turned and exited the room quickly.

"Okay, so I take back what I said earlier," Serena told Mina. They were walking to Serena's locker, at an unusually fast pace.

"About what?"

"Roudron isn't a schmo. He's a dick," Mina laughed, a bit surprised. She continued to tell Mina what he had said earlier while she unloaded her pack. Mina was amazed that a teacher would act thatway, and soon decided that Roudron was indeed, a dick. Serena also told Mina about after school, and she agreed to accompany her to the meeting room, at the very least.

"God, this sucks a lot!" Mina blurted out for the fourth time. She walked gloomily besides Serena, on the way to her tutor session. Mina had only just realized that with Serena busy after school, they would not be able to make their weekly trip to the arcade.

"Yeah I know…but hey, It's only a couple of days a week probably, Mins. Maybe we can go later this week, or over the weekend," she suggested. Mina scoffed, jokingly.

"I guess we don't really have any other options, huh?" She laughed. Serena smiled at this.

"Exactly, so stop it. And for the love of god why are they making us meet all the way over here!" Serena sighed, exasperated. Mina narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

"Hey, who exactly is this tutor anyway?"

"Didn't think to ask."

"Oh no?"

"Yeah. Why? Do you know who it is?" Serena laughed as her friend got that stupid expression on her face. Waaaait for it….

"Serena Kay are you ditching me for a MAN!" She burst out, flailing her arms wildly. There we go.

"No, I'm not ditching you for a MAN," she stressed, laughing ridiculously, despite herself. This always cracked her up.

"I think she is Mina, and I'll give you one guess who it is," an arrogant male voice suddenly cut into their dialogue. Serena really hoped it wasn't….

"Well, I guess you're at the bottom of the list, for obvious reasons. That's all that's important really," Mina bit back. And it was. Serena loathed this guy. He followed her everywhere, and always, always, turned up when Serena's love life was being discussed. Yes, if here was one person Serena McGinnis could not stand, Jake Bohan was it.

"Why don't you let Serena decide that," Jake smirked.

"I have, but you know, apparently the usual "Fuck off you son of a bitch" hasn't really been hitting it home, so I was thinking….why don't we hook up some time?" her sarcasm dripped off the words like butter on hot noodles.

"Really?" Jake asked. Serena couldn't tell if he was just stupid, or was ignoring her sarcasm.

"No," she stated simply. Mina guffawed, impressed.

"Shot down!" she whooped, and motioned for Serena to move along.

"We won't be seeing you," Serena said over her shoulder. He glared in her direction, before turning around.

"That was nice," Mina complimented.

"You weren't bad either," Serena pointed out. The pair continued to discuss how much they had thoroughly enjoyed pissing Jake off the rest of the way to the classroom. Serena stopped in front of the door, swallowing a bit nervously.

"Please don't let it be someone I know," she begged no one in particular. Mina turned the handle, and pushed Serena, who still had her fingers crossed ridiculously, through the open door. Serena didn't notice she was in the room until she heard a thunderous bang, which brought her back to her senses quickly. She turned to see what had happened, and realized Mina had dropped her textbook. She was staring fixedly, at something behind Serena. Serena turned again, and immediately knew what had caused Mina's mishap. There, in front of her, was a man. Not just any man, but a gorgeous man. Serena didn't usually fall easily for someone's looks, but God, help her aching heart now.

He was standing near the desk casually, in a pair of brown dress pants, and a long sleeved cream shirt. Dark midnight tendrils fell forward into two dangerously handsome oceanic blue eyes. Serena obviously hadn't touched his hair before, but she could tell it was like silk. His features were strong, and angled perfectly, and she would guess that he was a tick under six feet tall.

It was then that she heard a snort from behind her. It grew rapidly, and had soon converted into a hysterical fit of high-pitched squeals. Mina was laughing harder than she had ever heard her laugh. A tickle bubbled in her chest, and she could barely suppress her own laughs with a stupid smile that no doubt covered her face right now. Their words from earlier boomed in her head.

' Serena Kay, are you ditching me for a MAN! '

Whirling around, she picked up Mina's fallen textbook, and shoved it forcefully into her still laughing friend's arms. Mina didn't even seem to be aware of her surroundings, and Serena quickly pushed her out the door, slamming it behind her. She was almost afraid to turn around, but she did. The guy looked a bit taken aback by this, but who could blame him? She moved forward stupidly, planning on attempting an apology, but was instead interrupted before she started.

"You must be McGinnis," he said. Good lord, even his voice was hot. It was kind of husky, with a soft edge to it.

"Yeah…wait, god, didn't he tell you my first name?" Serena asked, growing angry.

"Roudron? Are you kidding?"

"Shouldn't have gotten my hopes up. I'm Serena, nice to meet you er…he didn't tell me your name, either."

"Hi Serena, I'm Darien," he extended a hand, and she took it, a bit timidly. She hoped her hands weren't clammy. His skin was soft, and the handshake warm. She flicked her bangs nervously with her other hand.

Darien motioned for her to sit in a pair of desks he had pushed together, and she complied, him taking the one next to her.

"So," he said, leaning forward in the desk, "math isn't your subject?" Serena narrowed her eyes, trying not to over analyze the question.

"Okay, I have something to tell you, before…before we start this whole thing," she said in a very business like manner. Darien eyed her with interest, smiling slightly. She continued.

"I am not stupid. I am a smart kid, honestly. I understand almost everything in the class," she expected him to be surprised by this, even confused perhaps. Serena was the one confused, however, when he nodded.

"I know."

"What?"

"I know."

"What?" Darien laughed, a warm laugh. It was a good laugh, and Serena was pleased to have made him do so. She liked making people laugh. And hey, if he was cute, kudos to her, even if it was unintentional.

"I know you're smart. I can tell. When I asked if it wasn't your subject, I was wondering if you liked it or not," Serena blinked.

"How do you know?" she arched a curious eyebrow.

"I just do. Trust me on that."

"I guess I will. And in answer to your question, I hate math. I'm sure you like it enough for the both of us, though," she sighed.

He raised his hands, shrugging. "There are worse things," he stated.

"Like Roudron," Serena laughed heartily at herself for a few minutes, Darien smiling. "The guy doesn't always teach people the best way, not really. I'd have to say, yeah, he's kind of a nut job," he agreed. "But then the problem at hand is what exactly?"

Serena glanced downwards, at the wooden grains in the desk. She could feel his eyes watching her. This was the other thing she hadn't really wanted to discuss.

"The homework part. It's like, I know how to do everything, but the stupid books throw in weird things from last year that I don't remember totally, or they word the questions funny. And I'm kind of unorganized and unmotivated."

"I see," Darien replied quietly. Serena got the distinct impression that that was not the type of answer he was looking for, but he pried no further on the subject.

"Well, I can help you with that. I can definitely help you on the homework, and refresh some of the topics that you may have forgotten. This isn't really a teaching session, but more of a study group. I like to think of it as I'm here if you need me, and you're here to help yourself stay on track."

Serena was appalled. This was definitely not the type of thing she had expected, but it was welcome. Maybe this wouldn't be totally humiliating after all.

"That sounds great, Darien," his name felt good to say, though she felt a bit awkward doing so. He smiled again, the corner of his mouth turning upwards.

"Good. Now how often are you able to meet?" he asked, pulling outa a notebook from a bag that she hadn't noticed on the floor beside the desks. A pen was pulled out of his pants pocket, and he started to flip through the book, awaiting her response.

"I guess about 3 or 4 days, I work a couple days a week," Serena responded. She hoped that this wouldn't take up all of her free time.

"Really? Where do you work?" he asked, looking up from the notebook, slightly amused.

"The Corner, like, the restaurant, not the intersection," she corrected.

"No kidding! I go there every week or so, you guys have got great soup," he rubbed his belly, leaning back in his chair. Serena's eyes followed the movement, and she could tell that tight abdomen muscles lay under his thin shirt.

"You should come in on a Saturday for lunch sometime, I waitress then, and Monday and Wednesday dinners too," she offered. Having Darien come in would certainly brighten up her dull work-day.

"I'll do that sometime," he nodded, the same smile playing at his lips. "Uhm, anyways," he said, shaking his head as if remembering he was here for a reason, "how do Tuesdays and Thursdays after school sound then?" Serena cringed. She could already hear Mina's voice ringing in her ear for filling up their Thursday, therefor interfering with their after school arcade visit.

"Alright, yeah. How long do you think we would meet, then?"

"No longer than an hour, I want you to have a life. A lot of times you'll probably finish before then anyway," he assured her. He sure seemed confident in her abilities.

"You mean you don't have a life to worry about?" she joked. Though he was writing rapidly, Serena could distinctly see his eyes flash.

"My life isn't so full at the moment, not much to worry about currently," he paused his writing, to glance sideways at her, grinning. Serena was very tempted to blurt out one more question, but even she wasn't feeling that bold.

"So, do you have your stuff with you?" Darien asked. Serena reached under her seat, grabbing her canvas knapsack. She pulled out her covered textbook, which was decorated with the names of bands and other random doodles, and her very large, very unorganized, 3 ring binder.

"There she is," she gasped, as she heaved the heavy piece of malarky onto the desk.

"So where are you guys right now?" Darien questioned. He grabbed her book, and started paging through it.

"Uhmm….proofs and stuff, I don't know the page, somewhere around 240 something," she answered. The subject was boring enough to go over once, hopefully this wouldn't be like living through math twice.

To Serena's relief, it was most definitely not like living through Roudron's class again. Darien let her explain the chapter to him, and he listened, every now and then asking open-ended questions in order for her to go into further detail. Even more rarely, he would add a tidbit to her description. It didn't really feel like a verbal quiz, but she could tell he was feeling her out.

"I told you you were smart," he said after asking his last question. Serena smiled, glad that she wasn't being misunderstood. "I'm assuming Mr. Roudron gave you homework for Wednesday then, huh?" he added. His tone was steady, but she could detect a bit of empathy and annoyance, as if he had experienced this as well.

"The world didn't end, did it?"

"Not really, no."

"Then you're damn right we have homework," Darien rolled his eyes, and nodded, as if to show he understood.

"Alright, then for tomorrow, why don't you get started on that, and I can look over it?" Serena sighed.

"What was the assignment?" he questioned, reopening his notebook.

"Page….246…1-20 I think," she strained her brain. She usually did her math on Tuesday, therefore memorizing the assignment tomorrow. She was amazed that she had remembered that, actually.

"Hey, write that down, Sere," Darien ordered. Serena jotted it down on a piece of notebook paper. "That way you can start it tonight," he winked, as if he knew her secret.

"You doubt my skills?" she laughed, pointing to her head. Darien shrugged sheepishly.

"Naw, just a little bit." Serena laughed, and glanced at her watch, not really paying attention to the time due to the image of Darien winking at her burning in her mind. She did a double take.

"Are you KIDDING me!" she screamed, jumping out of her seat.

"Late for something?" Darien questioned, looking a bit concerned. He was packing up his stuff into the black bag.

"Only a lot, I gotta be to work in 15 minutes!" She hurriedly slammed her books into her bag.

"Do you want a ride?" he asked, stopping her frenzied rush. Riding with Darien, in his car….hmm….was there a downside to this?

"Are you sure? I mean, it's really not that big of a deal, I can make it at a jog in 10 minutes," she assured him. Darien shook his head.

"I'd be happy to."

"Oh, thanks…I owe you a ton."

"Maybe you could buy me a coffee next time I'm in," he laughed. They headed out the classroom, and through a nearby pair of doors leading towards the student parking lot. Serena wondered what kind of car Darien drove. He seemed like a truck type of guy, but she doubted he would be driving one. They weren't generally cheap. He cut through a line of vehicles, and pulled out a jingling key ring from his pocket. He pushed a button on the keyless entry pad, and Serena could hear a bleep. She was extremely surprised to see that the bleep belonged to a shiny new red Mustang. Her eyes widened.

"Is that your car?" she asked in awe, almost afraid to touch the door handle. She had never ridden in a Mustang before. Darien smirked as he swung his bag off his shoulder, and threw it in the back seat.

"Yeah, do you like Mustangs?" he asked, as she carefully climbed into the front bucket seat.

"Promise you won't laugh?" she asked, turning to face him.

"I'll try my best," he said watching her closely.

"I've never ridden in one before. Like, any sports car, I mean. The coolest thing I've ridden is a Goldwing," Darien's eyes twinkled boyishly, and he grinned.

"Well I'm even more glad you agreed to ride with me then," He turned the ignition, and the engine roared to life. Darien turned, putting his arm on the passenger seat as he backed out of the space, allowing her to catch a whiff of his compelling cologne. Serena watched him as he drove. There was something about guys driving that was really appealing, and she couldn't help but smile at the intense expression on his face as they backed up. A car like this was like sex appeal on wheels. Boy would she have a story to tell the girls.

As they cruised out onto the main street, Serena was thankful to not be running those same lengths right now. She closed her eyes, and wrapped her arms around the headrest.

"Long day?" Darien asked, glancing over at her lengthy form.

"Uh, yeah, it was I guess."

"How come?" Serena pondered about that for awhile, then decided to tell him the truth.

"Nerve racking. I was freaking out about this whole tutoring thing."

"Really? Why?"

"I'm not used to this, in case you couldn't tell."

"There's nothing wrong with doing something to help yourself succeed, Serena."

"Naw, not really," she admitted, but in all honesty she had never thought about that part of it. "I am just used to succeeding right away."

"Oh…," Darien said, running a hand through his hair. "I know how that goes. It's hard to go from being at the top, to being the one in the dark. But you know what I find?"

"Huh?" Serena asked. He continued to look ahead as he talked.

"A lot more people are in the dark than you think, and by doing this, you'll be right back up there at the top again. You just have to realize that you're not alone, and that if you do what you have to do, you'll be achieving things before you know it." His words were the most comforting things she had heard in a long while, and the drive to The Corner ended all too soon. She wanted to drive with Darien until he helped her solve all her problems, but a few hungry people, who tipped a lot less than they ought to, were no doubt waiting for her inside. He pulled up to the curb, and she slid off the slick black leather onto the sidewalk before grabbing her bag from inside.

"You know, I was also nervous about something else," Serena mentioned.

"What was that," he asked, leaning towards the door.

"I was worried about meeting my tutor," she admitted. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Darien smiled slightly.

"And now what do you think? Am I good enough?"

"More than that. You made me feel the best I've felt in a long time, Darien," His face changed. It was rather serious, and sincere.

"Thanks again for the ride, I'll see you tomorrow," She hoped that she hadn't sounded weird saying that. In fact, she was very surprised she had said it herself. It had just slipped out.

"Hey, don't forget, you still owe me that coffee," he laughed, and waved, as she shook her head. "Have a good night at work." And with that, he sped away from the curb, leaving Serena staring after the red car growing smaller in the distance.

AN: Well there it is folks, the opener. Most of the chapters will be about this size, there should be about 5 when all is posted. You know the drill, review and let me know what you think. By the way, I most definitely do not own Sailor Moon.


	2. For The World To See

She turned around reluctantly, and entered the doors to work. No one was in the restaurant, and Serena wasn't surprised by this. It was a Monday night, not many people went out to dinner at a place like this. Besides, most of their crowd came in at lunch anyway.

"Serena, is that you?" a nasally voice chirped from the kitchen. Her boss, Richard, was a nice guy, but he really got on her nerves sometimes.

"Yeah, Hi. I'm going to go change, I'll be right out," she hollered as she made her way to the backroom. She shut the door behind her, and clicked on the overhead light. Extra employee uniforms hung on a pole that ran the length of the room, and brown cardboard boxes littered the floor. Serena opened her bag, and pulled out a pair of caramel khakis, and a button up black blouse. She didn't really mind the uniform, she wore this type of clothing anyway. She then tied a black apron around her waist, and for the millionth time, was grateful it wasn't the kind that wrapped around your neck, like a weird form of Betty Crocker apparel. After taking a drink of water from her water bottle, she pulled her long auburn and blonde hair up near the top of her head, and tied it with a ponytail. She glanced in the mirror, before ditching her bag behind a crate of peppermints. It wouldn't be the first time if someone took something during work, so she always hid her stuff, instead of putting it in the cubby with the rest of the employees' belongings.

Finally, she exited the room, heading down the narrowed hallway to the kitchen. She pushed open the swinging oak door, and grabbed her time card, punching in. Serena was just about ready to head back out front to help set up, when she heard a pair of voices coming from Richard's office. Stealthily tiptoeing across the room so as not to announce her arrival, she came to the end of the kitchen, and craned her head around the corner. Richard's office door was open. Two figures were standing inside, but because of the angle, she couldn't get a good look. She just wanted to know whom he was talking to. Perhaps he had hired another new guy. That would make the second new one this month. She strained her ears to hear what they were saying, barely able to make out Richard's voice.

"I'd like to introduce you to the rest of the staff, come on out front." Not good! Serena wheeled around and bolted through the kitchen and around the corner through the door. She skidded to a halt behind the front counters.

"Christ Serena, why the hurry?" Lita asked her, a bit concerned, but chuckling nonetheless. Serena waved her hand across her throat, shaking her head. Lita threw her a perplexed look. Serena nodded towards the kitchen. Seconds later, a scrape echoed from down the hall, signaling that they had just pushed open the door. Richard appeared, closely followed by…

"Afternoon ladies," Richard sang in a voice that was much too cheerful. "I'd like you to meet Jake, he's going to be working the counter a few days a week." Serena wanted to die, right then and there. This was going to be the worst torture imaginable, but it got worse. "I'd like you two to help train him in, you both know what you're doing. I'm not anticipating a huge crowd, so you shouldn't have much trouble," he patted Jake on the shoulder before disappearing into the kitchen once again.

Serena looked over at Lita, receiving an utterly sympathetic stare in return. Slowly she turned her gaze to Jake, who was either incredibly pleased with himself, or was just being overly friendly. Serena couldn't tell, and she frankly didn't care. Being how she was at work, she doubted he would try anything really annoying, and also doubted that she should act like a jerk around him, unless provoked. Oh, he was sly, this one. He had probably thought of the same thing.

"I guess you'll be training me in then, eh McGinnis?" he asked, sauntering towards the front counter. Serena was wiping glasses feverishly, and merely nodded. She was relieved to hear Lita speak next.

"Alright, listen Bohan, here's how things are going to go. This counter, up here, is where we serve coffee, sundaes, drinks, and that sort of thing. It's called "The Counter", for obvious reasons. Basically what you do is run the register, and serve the people who want to order some Counter food," she motioned to the large overhead menu above them. "Dine in, is our job. The menus are there. When people come in you ask if they are dining or getting something from the counter, got it? If they are dining in, you bring a like amount of menus, and seat them in the appropriate waiter's section. You also help us clear tables if we ask you too, and if we're really busy, you can help us serve drinks, but we get the tips." She finished. "Any questions?"

"No, I think I'll get the hang of things pretty quick," he replied.

"Right, then I'm going to explain how to use the cash register," Lita answered. Serena groaned. This was going to be a long night.

And she was right, too. Lita and her only had about 7 tables each, and spent most of their time up at The Counter, serving the overwhelming amount of people who wanted hot chocolate, or warm coffee drinks, as the weather had grown cooler in the past couple of hours. They showed Jake how to use the blender, coffee machine, pop dispenser, and ice cream maker. Richard had insisted that Jake help Lita and Serena clean up at closing, despite their protests. The three of them wiped down all the tables, and flipped up the chairs. Serena swept the wood floors while Jake followed her with a mop, and Lita made short work of printing out the register summary, voided receipts, and bills.

The girls returned to the kitchen, and punched out, then to the backroom to grab their belongings. Lita grumbled angrily about how ridiculous it was that Jake was working here, and that she hoped he would at least be good at the job. Serena agreed, grabbing her bag from behind the peppermints. They left through the front door, and said their good byes, Serena telling Lita that she wanted to talk to all 4 of the guys online tonight, so that she had better be there. Lita promised that she would be, and waved, as she rounded the corner.

"Serena!" someone shouted from behind her. She didn't need to turn around to know who it was. Jake quickly caught up to her, as she walked briskly down the fairly empty sidewalks. "Jeez, we sure are spending a lot of time together now huh?" he asked grinning. Serena rolled her eyes.

"Joy to the world," she replied, uninterested.

"Yeah, you being a waitress is pretty awesome. I should come in sometime when I'm not working so you could serve me," he laughed at himself, loudly.

"I think I'd spike your drink," she shot, still not even looking at him as she walked.

"With a date rape drug?"

"With rat poison." Jake laughed again.

"I'll be seeing you," he shouted, and turned, heading back in the opposite direction. The rest of the walk home was peaceful. It was 8:00, and most people were doing last minute errands, or taking a walk around the lake. She could see the cool water rippling from the street, and dreamily thought of how romantic it would be to take a walk there with someone. Her mind then flipped to Darien. Serena was pretty damned excited to tell the girls about this guy. She wondered if any of them knew him. More importantly, she wondered if they knew if he was single. Was it even okay to be interested in your tutor?

Upon returning home, she quickly bolted upstairs, and logged on to her computer. Music hummed from the speakers, and she took no time in joining a chat room with Amy, Rei, Lita, and Mina.

FiReChild: So what's this urgent meeting about Serena?

CooKinSizzles: Yeah really, I don't know why you didn't just tell me at work. I've been wondering all night.

BraniacManiac: I'd probably be online anyways, doing research, but it did strike my curiousity.

LoveMiTender: You guys, I think I know! I just can't hold it in any longer!

CrysTalClear: Mina, you're horrible. Did you tell everyone already!

LoveMiTender: No, I swear! But tell them before I do!

CrysTalClear: Alright girls, well you know how I'm doing those study sessions after school?

FiReChild: Of course.

CooKinSizzles: yeah?

BrainiacManiac: Right…?

LoveMiTender: Heehee!

CrysTalClear: Well, my tutor is….

LoveMiTender: AN ABSOLUTE HOTTIE!

FiReChild: I doubt that

CrysTalClear: His name is Darien, and he is gorgeous! He's really nice too you guys! I was wondering if any of you knew him.

BraniacManiac: Wait, Darien you said?

CrysTalClear: yeah.

BraniacManiac: Is he tall with dark hair and blue eyes?

CrysTalClear: Yes, do you know him?

BraniacManiac: Yeah, I do. He helped teach an exam course that I took

last year. He's a year older than us, haven't you seen him around school before?

CrysTalClear: Not that I know of….and I would have remembered.

CookinSizzles: Is he that good looking? I've just heard about him is all.

LoveMiTender: Yes.

FiReChild: All I know is that Jamie says he hangs out with a Darien.

LoveMiTender: Is that the guy you keep talking about?

FiReChild: Yes! He's in my gym class….

BraniacManiac: Darien _is_ handsome. His uncle is the owner of Shield Co.

CookinSizzles: You mean that big new department store downtown?

BraniacManiac: Yes, it's doing very well.

CrysTalClear: That would explain it.

LoveMiTender: Explain what?

CrysTalClear: Darien offered me a ride to work, because I was running behind.

FiReChild: Go figure.

CrysTalClear: . Anyway, he drives a red Mustang.

CookinSizzles: baWOOOOOga!

LoveMiTender: whistles

FiReChild: Impressive!

CrysTalClear: And he also didn't tell me his last name. No wonder. He didn't want me to judge him.

The girls continued to chat a bit, before signing off. Serena grudgingly started some of her math homework before showering, and going to bed.

EEP EEP EEP EEP! A harsh beeping noise filled Serena's room. Groaning at the fact that it was already 6:00 AM, she reached over and swatted blindly at the source of the cacophony. Damn that stupid piece of-

Her hand thwacked against something hard, and a second later, a crash came from her floor. Serena poked her head out from under the blankets. Unfortunately, she had broken another one of her alarm clocks. Her mom wouldn't be too pleased. She was forced to buy them in bulk now, because Serena went through about one a month. Slowly she crept out of bed, shoving the jumbled parts of the broken clock under her dust ruffle. Her sleepy eyes drifted to her closet. She decided on a pair of perfectly worn blue jeans, and a form fitting long sleeved ribbed shirt, in a teal color. She dressed quickly, because her room was cold, and stared into the mirror while applying her makeup. She grumbled angrily to herself. Foundation, silvery eye shadow, black eyeliner, mascara…why did she feel the need to wear this anyway? She wished she was one of the girls who looked good without makeup, but it just felt weird to her. She let her blonde and red curls spill over her shoulders. After snatching her bag and checking to make sure she had her music player, she headed downstairs. Upon entering the kitchen, her mom greeted her cheerfully.

"Morning, Sere. I made you breakfast, hurry up and eat then brush your teeth, you're running late." Mrs. McGinnis shoved a plate in front of her on the table.

"Mom, I'm not even that late!" she protested. Instead of eating the large breakfast, she snatched a piece of toast, and told her mother to give the meal to her brother. He loved breakfast food. She mumbled a goodbye to her mom through a mouthful of toast, and headed out the door.

It was a nice day out, and Serena had a good 10 minutes more than she normally had to get to school. She took her time, ambling along, occasionally stopping to lick jelly from her fingers. As if to mock her, 5 minutes into her walk clouds began to cover the sun, and grow dense. Serena didn't really notice this until a drop of rain landed sharply on her nose.

"Oh shit," she mumbled. It was going to be pouring soon. In attempt to avoid looking like a human sponge, she started to run, for the most part avoiding getting wet. Just as it started to come down, the school came into view. She cursed again, and lifted her bag above her head, putting the toast in her mouth as she entered the grounds.

As soon as her foot touched the school pavement she came into contact with a very large piece of something, and was sent flying to the ground. Her knee slid against the rough pavement, tearing open her jeans and flesh, and to her utter dismay, her beautiful piece of toast ended up stuck to her shoe, jam smeared across the hem of her pants.

"AWESOME!" she yelled furiously into the sky. A chuckle was emitted from behind her.

"Cute, Serena, maybe you'll start a trend," Serena glared, hatred filling every cell in her body. Jake Bohan stood in back of her, his leg stuck out irregularly.

"You're one to talk," she snapped, pointing to his shoe. Jam was globbed across the toe of his white sneaker. His smirk vanished, then reappeared as quickly as it had gone.

"You seem to be falling for me more and more every day, baby. I don't know why you can't see it yourself."

"I'd rather date my mom, Jake." He glared, and Serena raised her eyebrows, daring him to say something more. She kicked the piece of toast off her shoe, and rubbed off as much of the jam as she could, before grabbing her bag, which was now wetter than the fricking clouds themselves. She began to head for the doors, but was immediately blocked by her seeker again.

"What!" she asked, throwing her hands up in the air. It was a little late to worry about getting wet.

"At least give me your number, or let me pick you up after school today," he offered, putting his arm around her shoulders.

"Are you too stupid to realize that I am not interested in the slightest?" she growled, attempting to move forward, but his arm held firm. He merely smirked back at her, saying nothing. Serena was just about ready to use violence when a familiar male voice echoed from the other direction. Upon seeing who it was, she gasped. Darien. His shoulder backpack wrapped across his chest. He was carrying keys in one of his hands.

"Serena? What's going on?" he asked, looking shocked.

"Just dealing with the trash," she smiled anxiously, trying to seem in control.

"What's it to you, anyway?" Jake shot at Darien, who was slowly approaching them. Serena took the opportunity to pull away from his grasp, and started walking briskly towards the doors. Her shaking hand barely touched the handle when it was quickly snatched away.

"Where do you think you're going?" he breathed, catching up to her. That was it.

"Jake, touch me one more time, and I'll kick your ass," she said, firmly, but in acalm manner.

"Promise?" he laughed, grabbing her other arm. She had given him a warning. Serena kneed him as hard as she could in the stomach. He let out a grunt, and doubled over in pain, his breathing ragged, his hand still planted around her slender wrist. He made a move for the other one again, and she braced herself. But just as Jake's hand closed around her arm, a very strong pair of arms ripped him away. Serena opened her eyes. Darien stood, before her, glowering at Jake.

"What is your problem?" he spat, massaging his own wrist. Serena said nothing. To be brutally honest, she was thinking the same thing. His help was more than appreciated….but she couldn't believe he would do something like that for her. They only just met yesterday.

"My problem is you. Now back off, or I'll make you," he said calmly. He motioned for Serena to move inside, but she couldn't move an inch. Her mind was completely blank. Her blue eyes stayed focused on Darien.

"A little jealous, Shields?" Jake snapped. "Angry that you and your cronies aren't getting all the attention? Or is McGinnis here, special?" Serena's eyes grew wide at his words. Darien clenched his fists.

"Just leave her alone. You won't prove anything here." Jake moved forward, and to Serena's horror, shoved Darien sharply backwards.

"You think not?" he taunted.

"I think not."

"Then prove it." Serena screamed as Jake threw a punch. Darien was too fast. He quickly side stepped, evading 3 more like punches.

"Jake, STOP!" She yelled. He didn't. She couldn't take this any more. She turned, bolting through the doors and down the hallway, looking desperately for a teacher. She spotted Mr. Roudron, walking into his room.

"SIR!" she yelled, sprinting. He stopped, and looked in her direction.

"McGinnis keep your voice down, and stop run-"

"Sir please you have to get out front, now! He's crazy, I don't…won't..punches…Darien.." She panted, trying to catch her breath. Roudron's expression grew grim, and he turned, at once, walking immensely fast, so that Serena had to jog to keep up. The scene that met them outside was intense. Jake was pinned against the brick wall, his arm tucked painfully behind his back. Darien released him roughly, and slowly backed away, so that he was standing beside Roudron and Serena. Roudron's eyes grew wide, and he swallowed.

"You three, follow me, now." He turned, and reentered the school, the three of them trailing behind. Class was already in session, so no one was in the halls, making their footsteps echo uncomfortably. They entered Mr. Roudron's room, and stood, in a line, before him. Roudron leaned against the front of his desk and crossed his arms.

"What happened?" He looked straight at her, and she felt her spine tingle anxiously.

"I…" her voice was groggy, and she cleared it, her stomach rolling in knots. "I was running, because it was raining out, and Jake tripped me," She gestured to her bloody knee. Darien's body tensed. "he started talking to me, he wouldn't leave me alone, and wouldn't let me pass to get inside….he grabbed my arms, and I told him that if he didn't let go of I would kick him, and I did, but he still wouldn't leave me alone. He…." Serena lost her voice, suddenly, and felt her throat clench. She would not cry.

"It was harassment," Darien sneered under his breath. Roudron glanced in his direction before returning his gaze to Serena.

"Is that true, McGinnis?" Serena nodded.

"No it's not, sir! She's lying, I would never harass Serena."

"Bohan, you'll get your fix in the end. Please explain what happened between Mr. Shields and Mr. Bohan, McGinnis."

"Darien saw what was happening, he asked what was going on, and I told him. When Jake grabbed me, Darien pulled him off, and told him to leave me alone. Jake yelled at him, and tried to get him to fight, but he wouldn't. Darien…Darien was just trying to help," she said quietly. "He started going after him, and that's when I ran inside, to get Darien help, sir." Roudron nodded, silently. He turned to Darien, next.

"Is that true, Shields?"

"Yes." Serena saw him glance in her direction.

"Then why, exactly, was Mr. Bohan pinned against the school wall?" he asked sharply.

"Self defense sir. He was out of control, and I didn't want him to follow Serena again. I figured she would have gone inside, to get someone."

"I see," he answered. He paused, then spoke again. "Mr. Bohan, I find it improbable that both of them are lying, but I will give you your turn, nonetheless."

"I wasn't trying to harass anyone, I just wanted to talk to her. I guess I lost my temper when Shields started yelling at me to leave her alone."

"Did she tell you to leave her alone?"

"Er…"

"Did she seem interested in talking to you at all?"

"…uh…maybe not exactly."

"Mr. Bohan, are you aware of the fact that it is illegal to hold, or physically force someone against their will?"

"Yes."

"Did Miss McGinnis seem willing, per say?"

"mm…."

"That's what I thought. I believe we have evidence staring at us in the face," he gestured to Darien. "Come with me Mr. Bohran. You two, get back to class." He exited the room. Jake threw Darien one more glare before he followed. Serena looked up at Darien. He turned, sending midnight locks into his eyes. His damp skin was slightly flushed. As he turned, Serena gasped. His left eye was swollen and purple. A cut several inches long ran across his eyebrow. "Darien, your eye," she murmured, touching it softly with her cool fingers. He smiled, shrugging.

"Are you okay?" he questioned, putting his hands on her shoulders. She looked upwards, into his sincere eyes, nodding. That was a mistake, Serena… She felt herself being drawn in. His arms slid slowly down from her shoulders to the small of her back. The space between them seemed to be growing increasingly smaller, as he inched towards her. Anticipation crawled into her mind. Darien's soft lips met hers, sending her into a frenzy. Was that something that should normally happen between a tutor and his student? Serena's eyelids fell. Her body felt like it was being electrocuted, her spine on fire. She rested her hands on his chest. Serena didn't know if there was a heaven, but she decided then and there that she needed no heaven with bliss like this on Earth.

His lips were soft, and velveteen. Serena breathed in his scent, and felt her head grow faint at the smell of his cologne again. Her body seemed to bend at will at the touch of his hands, and just as she was getting used to the feeling, it was over. Darien opened his eyes slowly, his arms still around her waist.

"And are you okay now?" he whispered. Serena knew what he meant by the question, and smiled in return.

"I guess the stars are a good thing," she answered. Darien smiled down at her. A door slammed somewhere outside. He jumped, abruptly, releasing her.

"Oh…oh, god Serena I'm so sorry," he apologized, smacking himself in the head. Unfortunately, Darien appeared to have forgotten about his swollen eye, and the smack didn't help matters. He cringed, as it filled with tears.

"Why are you apologizing anyway?" she asked, pulling his hand away from his face. Darien looked to the floor.

"I, well….we just met, it might have seemed too forward." Though he was looking at the ground, Serena swore she could see a patch of crimson on his cheeks. She was astounded that he would treat her that respectfully.

"Wow…" she said, in a hushed voice. He looked up, eyes wide with wonder. "No guy has ever been that sweet to me, is all."

"Well I can't see why," it was Serena's turn to blush.

"So don't apologize, you're one of the nicest guys I've met in a long time. You better get back to class, I hear you have a whole line of AP classes this year."

"You're probably right…I'll see you after school in the library, alright?" he glanced over his shoulder once more, before exiting the room. Serena stood there a few moments, dazed, before following his example.

The remainder of the day passed ungodly slow for Serena. Ever since those few moments with Darien, she had been a bit out of it, and groggy, too busy dreaming to pay attention to her surroundings. When her science teacher told her she needed to fix something on her assignment, Serena thanked her, and smiled dreamily before snapping back to reality. Another time, she had tried to walk into the boys bathroom, before Rei grabbed her and laughed at her stupidity. Her internal battle then arose. Darien was her tutor, not just a guy. Yes, he was the best looking guy Serena had ever seen. Yes, he was also really sweet, and had just saved her the trouble of dealing with Jake. And yes, given the opportunity, she would love to go on a date with him, in order to get to know him better. But wasn't there some unwritten rule about this somewhere, that read something along the lines of, "thou shall not date thy teacher," ? If there wasn't, there was surely one out there that read, "thou shall not kiss man until 24 hours have passed since you met".

Fortunately, however, she managed to stay physically awake during the rest of her classes, and was relieved to hear the final bell ring at 2. After making a quick pit stop at her locker, she headed down the hall towards the library. She was just about there, when a kid from her science class ran up to her.

"Serena, is it true?" she asked, with wide eyes.

"Whazzat?"

"Everyone heard…what with Jake being suspended….are you dating Darien Shields?" she asked her, in awe. Serena laughed.

"Look uhm, what's your name again?"

"Maddie."

"Right. Well, maybe you'd better go ask the rest of the student population, they probably know more about it than I do, which, sadly, is kind of true…. And just for future reference, don't ask me about stuff like that ever again, I hate gossip," she strode away, leaving Maddie behind with her mouth agap. Serena didn't particularly care, at the moment. It was none of her goddamn business, anyway.

The school library wasn't generally the place to be, for teens, but today a sufficient amount of students were scattered between the shelves and tables. Their school always played up the fact that their school had the biggest library in the county, whoopie. As far as Serena was concerned, that could be a right pain if you were trying to find someone in it.

"Serena!" a voice called out, just as she started to stride along the rows. Darien waved from across the room, and jogged over to her.

"Hi," she said, trying not to notice the people who were now staring at them as if they were celebrities.

"Hey….I have the perfect place for today. Away from ….well…here," he nodded to the crowd.

"I was hoping you would, this is enough to drive me crazy," she complained.

"Follow me," he led her towards the back corner of the library, through a door, past a row of tables, and around a corner. Serena looked around. They were in a part of the library that looked about as popular as Saturday school.

A very large beanbag, at least 10 feet long, sat on the floor behind an old wooden table that was low to the ground. To her knowledge, no one even knew that this was here. Darien plopped onto the beanbag, letting his head fall back, and sighed. He laughed as she eyed him, skeptical.

"What's the matter?"

"I just can't believe you have a hang out in the library," she laughed at his dorky quirk.

"Yeah, it's great, I know." Serena smirked, dropping her bag onto the floor, and took a spot on the beanbag next to him.

"So, did you start that math?"

"Yeah, started it."

"Let's see what you got," Darien said, sitting up on his elbows. Serena pulled out her binder and book, and slid it in front of him on the table. He pulled a pair of glasses out of his pocket. Serena blinked, confused.

"You wear glasses?"

"Only on days when my eyes are bothering me," he smiled, but Serena felt a tad guilty about his still swollen eye. She made a mental note to ask him about it again later. He slipped them through his silky ebony hair, and peered down at her paper.

Serena followed the line of his face up to his eyes. She tried to look away, but it was like her eyes were glued upon him, transfixed. He's your tutor Serena….do not look at him like that. Stop it, right now! You'll scare him away! Darien looked up from the assignment.

"So you're through number 8, most of them look good, except for this one here, it's right, but there's a much easier way to do it," he said, pointing with a pen. Serena leaned in, looking over at the paper.

"Oh?" she asked, smiling slightly. She listened to him explain the properties of alternate exterior lines, and how much easier it would make her work if she would consider using them in her proofs as well. "It's not really all that common that you use them, but there are times," he finished, setting his pen down on the table. "That's pretty much all you have to do, I don't think you'll have questions about the rest, and I don't want to make you work on them right now, if you don't want to, so you can decide."

"Really?" she asked. Darien nodded. He stretched his arms and lay back on the beanbag, as if doing a sit up. He patted the spot next to him, motioning for her to join him. She did so rather noisily.

"Do you feel better about your math now? That is sometimes nice to have it done early, at least part of it anyway," he commented. Serena nodded.

"I guess so. It's like I said earlier though, I just don't know why I am even having problems with this in the first place." She sighed, disappointed in herself.

"Sometimes there is no real reason."

"But I managed all of it before! Why am I having trouble now, after years of doing well, years of achievement? Why couldn't this have happened when I was in grade school, and grades didn't matter?" she lashed out, angrily. Darien's voice remained steady.

"Because there was so much less to worry about when we were younger. Serena, look at your life now. When you were little, I'm sure you had friends, like you do now," he stated, waiting for her to respond.

"Yeah?"

"When you were little, friends meant going to the park and swinging, or playing with dolls. Now, being a friend is so much harder, and demanding. You seem like the type of person that is always close to your friends, giving them support, helping them through their problems, and just spending a lot of time together. That's a big responsibility."

Serena remained silent, listening carefully. He was right. Sometimes having friends was hard, especially if someone moves away, or distances themselves from you. She knew how that felt, being a good friend, but almost never getting one in return. For a brief moment, her thoughts flickered over to _him._

"Add all of that to the stress of a job, on top of school work that can determine your future, and between all that, you barely have any time to be with family and just be alone. That's not even taking into account your personal life, which I don't know much about," Darien turned, watching her as he talked. She seemed to be soaking all of this in like a sponge. She remained quiet a moment before speaking.

"You really are smart, aren't you Darien," she whispered. He looked up towards the ceiling.

"I just want you to realize that you have a right to feel the way you do."

"I wish I knew how to put it all out of my head, is all. No matter what I try, nothing fixes my problems."

"You've got to do something you really truly desire, have something fun happen, create a sense of fulfillment," he replied.

"What's something you really want?" he questioned. Serena felt stupid telling him this. She hoped she wouldn't regret it.

"I want things to work out between me and…someone," she finished lamely.

"Is there someone specific?"

"There was…a guy I used to know, we used to date, and since he moved things have been weird but…now I think there's someone else, but I don't know how he ermm….feels," she sat up and pretended to cough, so that she could turn away with him and not reveal her no doubt pink face.

"I see. And does this guy know how you feel?" Serena laughed, mockingly.

"Probably does now," her eyes grew wide, in horror. She had most definitely not meant to say that. Slowly, she turned to face Darien, praying that he wasn't giving her a look of the utmost distaste. On the contrary, his eyes were slightly screwed up with concentration, and the corner of his mouth twitched upwards. He nodded.

"I'm sure he's flattered," Darien said. Serena's stomach flipped uneasily.

"So, how was the rest of your day?" he asked, turning to look at her. His arm covered his good eye from view, so the purple one blinked back at her. Serena flushed a little at the thought of how spacey she had been the rest of the day.

"Long and horrible, I kept spacing out, I guess. I didn't even notice all the looks I was getting from people until after the bell rang. On the way to meet you, this girl I barely know from my science class runs up to me, and asks me if we were dating," she cried, a bit agitated at the fact that people were talking about it before anything had even happened.

"What did you say?" Darien asked, smiling. Serena knew she turned pink this time.

"Well, I told her that she should go talk to the rest of the student body, because they appeared to know more about it than I. It was sort of rude, I suppose, but I can't stand gossip." Darien laughed, heartily.

"Me neither. I caught a guy telling one of his friends that I got my black eye from a girl who got mad when she saw me and you making out in the girls bathroom," he snorted. Serena rolled her eyes.

"That's pathetic. Why do they even care? I guess we are just that cool eh?" she nudged him playfully in the side, and he laughed, hunching over. "Are you kidding me? You're that ticklish!" Serena shrieked, doubting it.

"No, I'm not, usually, you just caught me off guard." He said while trying to keep a straight face.

"I see…hey, how is your eye?" she asked, rolling onto her stomach, looking down on him. He waved a hand.

"You tell me." She moved closer, to get a better look.

"It looks sore. Did you ice it earlier?" Darien shook his head. "You should have, it's good for it. And hey….I never got to tell you, earlier….but, I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't shown up this morning. I can't believe something like that actually happened, usually I can take care of it. But you didn't have to do that for me, so, thanks."

"I'd do it again in a heartbeat," he replied, his voice edgy, and warm. His eyes roamed over her over the thin rimmed glasses. Serena's hair was strewn across his chest, she was so close. An internal alarm started to beep inside her head. She could only assume that it was her logical portion of her brain. Darien reached up, and cupped the side of her face in his hand.

"No way I'd let anyone hurt you," he said. Serena watched his eyes closely. She swore she could almost read them, and tell how he was feeling. They were like mirrors, reflecting out the thoughts of his innermost soul. Their sincere depths captivated her. Oh lord, not again…

Darien's hand moved to her neck, and Serena shivered. He drew her to him, anxious to feel her against him again. Her breath caught, as they closed in another warm kiss. It was long, and tender, and Serena felt herself tremble. Their lips brushed together again and again, each kiss deeper than the one before. Serena was sure Darien could feel her shaking, now, and when his other hand found the side of her waist, it happened.

Her quaking elbows gave way at the touch, and she fell forward, onto his firm chest. Her torso stretched across his. She felt Darien smile, and he rubbed his hand up and down the length of her back reassuringly. His body felt good under hers, and Serena was getting lost. His kiss was more addicting than anything she had ever tasted, breathed, or experienced. Her hand found its way to his stomach, and she caressed it gently, she could almost feel the tight muscles underneath. He swallowed, as she continued to trace the chiseled outline, their foreheads pressed together.

"Serena," he said hoarsely, "can I take you out Friday night?" Serena wanted to jump for joy, cartwheel, do a victory dance. Knowing that she shouldn't sound too eager, she sat up.

"Why would you want to do that?" She teased, throwing her hair over her shoulder. She could almost hear her own voice calling her a slut right now. She muffled it angrily.

"Well…because you're a really great girl, and I want to get to know you. I've kissed you twice today, and you're not even my girlfriend. You make me laugh, and you're really…"

"Really what?"

"Pretty," he said, running a hand through his hair. Serena couldn't stand it anymore. She broke into a toothy grin, and laughed.

"That would make my day," she replied. "I guess now we know as much as the rest of the school."

"Serena?"

"Whazzat?"

"Can I kiss you again?" Needless to say, the answer to his question pretty much destroyed the "thou shall not date thy teacher" theory, as well as "thou shall not kiss a man unless you've known him for 24 hours".

AN: Part 2 is complete! How are you liking it so far? I'm trying to keep the chapters as even as possible so that the story is a smooth read. Like I said, not too graphic…yet…. I'm sorry if my writing bores you. The story really isn't going where I want it to go, but anyway…review if you read. Thanks!


	3. Teach Me How To Believe

"So let me get this straight. First, he saves you like a knight in shining armor and gets a black eye in the process, then he kisses you in the math room after saving you, then you guys go at it in the school library!"

"Shut up someone will hear you!" Serena giggled, bringing a hand to her eye to wipe away the tear, and smacking the air hockey puck back at Mina with the other. "And oh, you forgot the part where he asked me out," she added, enjoying the look on her friend's face.

"I knew you were going to hook up with him," Mina winked happily, shoving another quarter into the table. Serena threw her an inquiring look.

"Oh come on, Rena, it was obvious. I can always tell when that stuff is going to happen to you. It's weird, too bad you can't do the same for me," she trailed off, arching an eyebrow. Serena stuck out her tongue.

"Do you think it's weird? What happened?" Serena asked, seriously.

"Weird? How so?"

"Oh come on, you don't think practically making out in the school library with my tutor is weird? Not to mention the fact that I met him, oh, 24 hours ago? God, that was a cheap shot, by the way."

"Was not, and I guess it maybe is a little weird, but if you're with the right guy, nothing could be wrong, you know?"

"That's what I thought…but afterwards, I don't know, I was wondering if he would think I was a slut or something. I just can't get over the fact that I met the guy all of 1 day ago."

"Serena, the guy came on to you, twice, at school. If he can't wait until you're on a date to make his move, he's obviously a bit into you."

"Well, I'm in to him, that's for sure," Serena admitted, cursing as Mina managed to slide the puck in at an opportune moment.

"Everyone is into Darien Shields. This girl came up to me today and asked me if I could arrange for you to talk to her, because Darien was around you so much. Not to mention, Rei's got huge eyes for one of his friends. The guy is just magnetic."

"But I don't want everyone to be into him," Serena whined.

"Well there's not a whole lot you can do about it. Besides, it can't be all bad. Chances are people will kiss your ass now that you two are going on an actual date," Mina laughed.

"Knock it off, it's not like I told them to talk about us! There wasn't even an "us" until this afternoon, er…..morning….I think….see my point?" Serena asked, frustrated with the whole of the high school.

"I know, I just think it's funny how you are so mad about it, and yet you make out with the guy after school on a bean bag. And you can't tell me that having Darien Shields wouldn't be worth enduring a little gossip."

"We didn't make out!" Serena hissed.

"Right, I know. "It was a few gentle kisses strung together"," she laughed, and dropped her smacker, having captured the final goal from an obviously preoccupied Serena. "Listen, it will be fine. Darien doesn't think you're a slut, and you're the best person I know at ignoring gossip. Now, let's go grab some chocolate shakes and go over to your place to pick out what you're going to wear!" Serena sighed, and happily obliged.

Though there were only two days left in the week before Friday, Serena was certain they were the longest days in her life. It was quite horrifying knowing that she had an actual date, with one of the most sought after guys in the senior class. Serena was just about positive that she couldn't have made it through without Mina. In those two days, she suddenly became aware of just exactly how much people talked about Darien. Serena hated social standards, and hated people who were at the top of them and acted like jerks even more, but she did find it pretty damned amusing to be dating a guy that many of them would have killed to have, for a plethora of reasons. The following two of which, were her favorites.

Serena, unlike some of her fellow peers, was not a slave to fashion, did not go out and buy designer clothes, or even listen to pop or hip hop (which, apparently, according to a lot of the student population, is music). In fact, Serena didn't like blending in with the crowd. She didn't go out of the way to be different, but she expressed herself, and that's the way she liked it. While many girls fussed with mini skirts and high heels, Serena was perfectly comfortable in her tan pin striped pants, and flat soled high tops.

Amy had recently told Serena that Darien's uncle was the CEO of Shield Co.. Now, this was just an assumption, but Serena was pretty sure Darien had money. Not that she cared…in fact, if he was homeless and looking for a place to stay, she was pretty sure she'd offer him her bedroom. However, she could definitely see that many of the girls were more interested in his car and wallet than she.

All in all, her attitude generally relaxed, as she realized that she had nothing to fear. This feeling was a good one too, for her thoughts were often what picked her apart. Most of which, were about past relationships. Her past escapades had been fine while they lasted, but both times ended up with the unsystematic dump, that left her scarred. Serena and her first boyfriend had broken up and gotten together so many times, that her friends hadn't even bothered asking if they were together. They simply noted if they were sitting by each other in the cafeteria every day. What made the situation even sadder, was that Serena had kept going back to him. And if it couldn't be any worse, this was the same guy who's friendship she was now fretting about. Now it seemed like he was only around when he was in a desperate situation, and she was sick of it. No wonder she kept thinking about the past, it was still around to haunt her in the present.

It felt, at times, as though she had a dependency problem when it came to these types of things. Either that or she had just been involved with some really inconsiderate guys, who simply enjoyed hearing her talk about how she cared for them because they couldn't get their first pick. Yet at the same time, Serena felt she was different than other people, in the sense that she was deep and sincere, which made her fall harder. So what, either she had a psychological dependency issue, or she made it a habit to date assholes? Neither explanation sounded really appealing.

As she sat on her bed, thinking about all of this, Serena recalled what Darien had said about fulfilling a dream, finding something you love, and doing something fun. The sun was setting through her open window, and those thoughts were definitely enough to give her some hope. Those same inspiring thoughts, along with a few others, brought sweet dreams to her that night.

Her Friday started with the jolt of her alarm clock. Serena's eyes, and nearly every other muscle in her body, begged for another 30 minutes of sleep, but already excitement broiled in her chest like hot oil in a cooking pan. Prolonging her awakened state slowly brought the rest of her self to the harsh realization that she was going to have to get up.

The carpeted flooring was soft, and she quickly passed over it to her closet. The weather was nice, thought it was early and a bit cool. As a result, she pulled on a wide leg trouser, and a thin long sleeved shirt, making a mental note to grab her lightweight button up sweater for the walk to school. Serena didn't spend a lot of time on appearance anymore, but she still didn't mind looking nice. After grabbing some socks, she started on her makeup, and fixed her hair.

She swung her canvas backpack over her shoulder upon finishing, and headed down the creaky wooden steps quickly. Serena immediately popped open the fridge in search of a pick me up, curing her drowsiness with a coffee drink. She tried to ignore her mother, who was offering to make her breakfast, and was reassuring her that even though she was still in her bathrobe and was yawning feverishly, her cooking would be speedy.

"No worries Mom, not much of an appetite in these morning hours," she chirped, rather high-pitched. The voice took both her and her mother by surprise, and she snapped open the back screen door before she could ask her why she sounded rather like an excited chipmunk. Hopefully that would be gone before she got to school.

Laughing at the image of herself talking to her teachers in such a fashion, she pulled her headphones out of the flap on her pack, wrapping them around her head. Bright leaves of all shades of gold and red fell around her. The crunch of them snapping under her suede sneakers wasn't audible over the energetic rock harmonics thrumming through her ears. A soft wind blew her long loose curls behind her as she continued to hike down the street, humming and singing to get rid of her chipmunk friend. The tan sweater hung limply on her shoulders, and she crammed her audio player into one of the pouched pockets. Serena utilized this time to ponder about where she would be going tonight. There were 100 places they could go, but Darien didn't seem like the "dinner and movie" type of guy. Perhaps he didn't even have a plan. Serena frowned slightly at that possibility. She hoped he did have a plan, because she sure didn't.

As she neared the school, the sidewalk crowd thickened, and she followed as they trickled into the building. After stepping inside, she noted that the school wasn't scorching, as it had been earlier week. Apparently the administration was either running out of funding for that too, or they had decided that it wasn't necessary to heat a building to 80 degrees in late September.

Serena ambled down the hall towards her locker. Many students were occupying the hallways, choosing not to sit in their homeroom for any longer than was necessary. A dark, tall guy was leaning casually against the wall, his back to Serena, whilst talking with 2 other guys. One of the others looked quite familiar. Serena's eyes wandered back to the tall guy's back. He was wearing a thin, loose, muted green sweater, and brown shoes. As she approached, Serena suddenly felt like an incredibly big moron. The tall guy was Darien, and he looked finer than silk. He kept running his hand through his hair, and looked like he was in deep conversation. The dilemma then arose. Should she stop and say hi, or keep walking, playing it cool? Maybe she should try to catch his eye and smile. Whatever she did, she'd have to do it fast. Turning down her music, she decided not to interrupt their conversation. Too bad the bloody hallway wasn't wider…

Relieved that she didn't feel his eyes on her when she passed, the feeling didn't last long.

"Darien, isn't that her?"

"What? Shit! Did she hear me?"

"I don't know man, but go talk to her."

"I'm going to." Serena smiled to herself. A series of scuffling noises followed, and a warm hand touched her arm softly.

"Serena, hey!" she spun around rapidly, glad to be with him. Perhaps a bit too rapidly, for she hadn't braced herself for the impact he would have on her. The weight of her backpack was enough to pull her backwards. He looked unbelievably good. His hair was muffled, the front flipped over, in a defiant fashion, and it barely manage to reach his gorgeous blue eyes. The thin wired glasses were still present, and their frames made his eyes even more distinct. Even with the purple shadow encircling his eye, he still managed a look of perfection.

"Hi," she breathed, relieved that she had sung on the way here. He smiled, and cocked his head. Serena noticed a small diamond in his ear. Darien turned, looking back at his companions in question, obviously wondering if they minded if he left to hang out with Serena.

One of them, a sandy brown haired guy with a boyishly handsome face, was leaning on the shoulder of the other, looking rather amused by the situation. Why did Serena get the impression she knew him? He raised his hand in question, gesturing to Serena, seemingly keen on an introduction. Darien threw him a look, and received an equally challenging one in return. He turned to Serena, his facial expression hard to read.

"Care to meet a couple of losers?"

"Why not?" She stepped forward slowly, feeling rather like she was being scrutinized.

"This is-"

"Serena! Darling! Good to see you!" The one that had looked familiar and wanted to meet her removed himself from the other's

shoulder and grabbed her hand, shaking it violently. It slowly occurred to her who he was. "I'm-"

"Jamie." He gave a staged look of surprise at her knowledge.

"Why, yes! How did you know?" Serena smiled to herself, wondering if Rei would kill her or worship her for this.

"My friend talks about you a lot. Rei Hino."

"No kidding?" Jamie asked, smiling. "She's in my gym class. But listen, Darien lied, we're really not losers, we're the loves of his life truthfully," he turned to Darien, who was laughing with his hand over his eyes. The blonde next to Jamie spoke next.

"Course he'll never admit that. We just thought we'd let you know up front, fair play you know." Serena was surprised to hear a British twang on his speech. "I'm Chris."

"Hey," a moment passed. No one moved.

"Did we scare you?" Jamie asked curiously.

"Sorry, no…that was a nice touch though," she pointed to Jamie's hands, which were still clasped like a damsel in distress. He laughed, it was rich, and Serena instantly liked him.

"Damnit…" Chris muttered. He smiled, and leaned against a row of lockers. "What're you listening at?" he pointed to the headphones still around Serena's neck.

"Oh, Weezer. You like them?"

"LIVIN IN BEVERLY HILLS!" Jamie squawked.

"Christ Jame, you didn't tell me you sang with Weezer," Darien grinned.

"Yeah, it's a living," he shrugged nonchalantly, and Serena made a mental note of the many stares he was attracting from the girls in the area. All 3 of them were in fact, good looking (Darien of course being Serena's favorite, by far). Jamie and Chris were quickly thrown into a debate about which Weezer CD was the best.

"Oh come on, the entirety of 'Make Believe' is naturally brilliant," Chris laughed. Jamie merely guffawed at the statement.

"Seriously, Island in the Sun is better than all of Make Believe by itself."

"That's because it's the single! Besides, I'd much rather listen to those, than that!"

"Look at that! Holy crud!"

"Whazzat?'

"At your face! Sucker!"

"That was lame."

"I know." Serena could see why Darien found these 2 entertaining.

"Do they do this the entire time you're with them?" she askedloudly. Darien caught on.

"Only when they have an audience, especially a female audience." Jamie waved his hands in front of Darien like a mime before flicking him off.

"Watch it, chap, there's a lady present!" Chris interjected.

"Oh shut up you, you…."

"Yes, what am I?" And with that, Jamie slapped Chris playfully across the face and was gone in a flash. Chris grinned.

"Later man, and nice to meet you love," he winked, and bolted down the hall after Jamie. Heads turned at the pair, several students even following them outside.

"Well, that was Chris Lexon and Jamie Fitch, you either love 'em, or really, really don't," Darien sighed, despite the small smile on his face.

"I admire them," Serena answered dreamily. Darien cocked an eyebrow.

"Why's that?"

"Are you kidding? They are incredibly gifted. With all that they pull, never getting harped on by teachers? If I had that luck I'd be at home sleeping right now!" It was the truth. Darien smiled at her comment. Serena decided it would be a good idea to add that she didn't finish her math homework for that day. "Hey I was meaning to tell you, about my math, I-"

"Remember what I said the other day?"

"Of course."

"Then do it. You can't concentrate on school unless the whole of yourself is ready and willing, which is very hard to achieve. This weekend, I want you to have the most fun in a long while. Don't you dare even bring up school unless I tell you too," Darien demanded. Her insides warmed at the understanding.

"You're a good tutor Darien."

"Thanks."

"Hopefully you can help me in more ways that one," she shot, a quirky smile swinging on her lips. Whoa Serena, where did that come from? It had been a long while since she had flirted with a guy with any serious intentions. Part of her wanted to crawl into a hole, but the bold, exterior that was her shell refused to back down, and instead looked up at Darien through her bright eyes. The corner of his mouth arched upwards, eyes ablaze, for but a moment. Darien opened his mouth to say something back, but bit back his tongue just as quickly. He had the distinct impression that if he tried to speak he might say something a little less than civil. He swallowed instead.

"Your bag looks heavy, do you want to go to your locker? I want to see where it is anyway," he offered. Serena shrugged, and nodded. In truth, her bag was a little heavy. Darien followed her down the hallway and around the corner. Her locker was on the end of a clump outside one of the art rooms. She was grateful, for the 194th time that year that it wasn't stuck in the cornucopia of gray rectangles, so she didn't have to search for the thing.

She stopped in front of it, opening the door with a creak after spinning the padlock unnaturally fast, Darien leaning on the neighboring locker, watching. Textbooks and 4 ring binders lined the bottom, and paper folders were stuffed randomly on top of them, so as to create a makeshift shelf. Sheet music was scattered about randomly, and the door was covered with pictures of family, friends, band logos, things that interested, and dates of importance.

"I like this spot," Darien announced.

"Me too, except for…"

"What?"

"Guess who's locker that is," she pointed to one a few lockers away.

"I wish it was mine," Serena felt her heart twinge painfully.

"Jake Bohan's." Darien scoffed, heatedly, cursing aloud, and Serena quickly mentioned that at least he was gone until Wednesday, causing him to calm down. Darien glanced into her locker again, eyeing the sheet music.

"You play?"

"Violin, yeah."

"Really? God…"

"You like that?" She inquired, hopeful.

"Music is amazing, I admire musicians on all levels." Serena was bewildered.

"It's not often I hear a guy say that…granted I don't know if I deserve your respect, I'm not a Mozart Jr. quite yet," she added. Darien looked at her seriously before handing her the sheet music. His hand lingered on hers, and he unexpectedly took it into his own. She could feel her head spin again. This really would get to be a problem….one of these times she was going to pass out. His eyes peered into her own.

"You already have it, more so than any other," he bowed his head, his eyes genuine, his voice sweet. She couldn't help it. She blushed. If the bell hadn't rung at that moment, Serena would have fainted. Around them students hurried to class, but she didn't care if she was late. Right now there was only Darien. He leaned forward, to her ear.

"See you tonight," he murmured. He backed away, reluctantly releasing her delicate hand, which fell limp at her side. She managed a nod. She saw Jamie and Chris fly through a pair of doors at the opposite end of the hallway, entering from outside. They called out to Darien before taking off down the hallway around the corner. He looked over his shoulder, then took one last look at Serena before bolting after them. Serena backed slowly towards her door, and came into contact with something.

"You're tardy, McGinnis!"

"Yeah, yeah I am…" she answered hazily, before waltzing past her towards her seat. The bewildered teacher shut the door with a snap.

Serena smiled to herself, as Mina harassed her for the millionth time that afternoon about the upcoming evening. Groping inside her locker blindly, she came across an unfamiliar piece of paper. She pulled it out, discovering a carefully folded piece of notebook paper. "What's that?" Mina questioned protectively. All afternoon the girls had been asking her fairly annoying and bothersome questions, though when Mina had asked if she was still a virgin, it had been enough to crack all 4 of them up.

Serena folded back the page, and found a message sprawled neatly across the back in thin printing.

_Serena_

_I haven't told you where we're going tonight, but I thought I'd better _

_tell you this; prepare for anything._

_Can't wait,_

_Darien_

"Not sure," she replied, a little late for Mina's taste, and handed her the note as they began to exit the building.

"Do you think…well…what do you think?"

"I have no idea what he's talking about…"

"Well have a good time, let me know how it goes!" Mina jeered.

"Thanks, I'll call you later this weekend." The two parted ways, Serena heading home. She glanced at her watch, knowing it was only 3:30. She had a few hours to burn. She took a leisurely route home. As she walked down the sidewalks, she decided that she had better eat something, in case Darien planned on getting food later. After purchasing a small sandwich wrap at a nearby café, she munched happily the rest of the way home.

She was just finishing as she walked up the driveway and around the patio to the back door. After wrestling with it for a moment or two, she decided that it was indeed, locked, and grumbled further, for she never could get the blasted thing to open without severe turmoil. Finally the door clicked open, the spring causing it to recoil sharply. Apparently no one was home. Serena didn't mind the time to her self, and after pacing around the house for a few minutes, decided on watching a movie. And thus, she spent the next several hours in the living room, lazily sipping a soda.

AN: This was shorter, and a LOT less interesting than other chaps…I apologize, and hope you liked it nonetheless.

(ThisBurningHeart)


	4. His Surreal Touch

Being nearly 6, it was beginning to get a little dark. The cool autumn breeze bit through Serena's black sheer sweater to her skin, and she crossed her arms, attempting to stay warm. Her stomach seemed unstable, and sickened at the thought of what lay ahead. The minutes dragged on, and finally her watch read 6. Her heart fluttered at the sight of the red mustang, as it pulled into the driveway.

Serena didn't wait for him to get out, and instead leapt up, heading for the passenger door. It was pushed open from the inside. She climbed in, sliding once again over the slick leather, and looked to Darien, smiling. She tried to keep her facial expression steady, resisting the urge to let her jaw drop and allow oozing drool to drip down her chin. He wore a button up black shirt, unbuttoned to just the right amount. A short black cord with a silver band hung around his neck. Serena could tell the shirt was made of silk. The sleeves were rolled up to reveal his forearms. He also wore a pair of faded blue jeans, and, lord help her, incredibly sexy sunglasses. Darien smiled back at her, his eyes enough to pierce her heart.

"Hey darling," he winked, backing out of the driveway and taking off down the street. There he goes with that wink again.

"Hi Darien," she managed, not finding the words to tell him he looked incredibly sexy. She never was a good compliment giver.

"Are you ready to have some fun?"

"Hell yes. But it would be nice to know where we are going. Your note was not as helpful as I would have hoped," she added, noting that the corner of his mouth twitched playfully at her comment.

"I guess I can tell you now. But first, I have to ask, Serena, do you like clubs?"

"We're going to a club?" she asked, slightly surprised. There were age restrictions on most clubs.

"Not just any club. Have you heard of 'The Haven'?" he asked, glancing in her direction. Serena felt herself thrum with excitement. The Haven was a new teen club with live music, dancing, and an incredible amount of games, videos, food, and fledgling artists and musicians. The place was a hive for new and exciting things, as well as new talent. You practically needed a special reservation to get in; it was packed for weeks ahead of time.

"Are….are you…." She stammered, her comprehension level failing, leaving her gaping at him in awe.

"I hoped you'd be interested. I figured you'd love all the new music and things," Darien ran a hand through his hair, and reached over, rubbing her arm to relax her.

"How'd you get us in?" he shrugged, nonchalantly.

"Relatives in the business." Serena nodded, assuming he meant his uncle. The pair drove the rest of the drive talking, and soon they were pulling into the parking lot. Serena was a bit nervous, as she had never been to a club before. She made a pass to open her door, but Darien immediately chastised her, saying that it was his job, and that she had better get used to it. She flushed.

"Darien?"

"mm?"

"Have you ever been here before?" she asked, slightly intimidated, but excited nonetheless. She really hoped she didn't sound chicken.

"Not yet. I've heard good things. Let's see if it lives up to the expectations, hmm?" They moved towards the security. Serena was extremely happy when Darien took her hand, leading her through the doors after supplying the guards with two tickets.

Music. Bodies. Laughter. Dancing. Paintings. The smell of food, and fruity drinks. The Haven was like a giant immaculate warehouse. A polished dance floor lay in front of a stage, shining under lights and fog. Small groups of people were clustered on the upper level of the building, performing, or sharing musical ideologies. Tables lined the food area, and squeals of laughter echoed from the video arcade. An art showcase was also present in the basement. People were down there sculpting and painting portraits, and admiring the work of others. Darien and Serena roamed the building, taking it all in. Serena was captivated by the music erupting from the stage. The beat was addicting, it covered the atmosphere of the whole place. They settled at a table, and Darien bought them both drinks, Serena sipping a virgin pina colada, Darien a strong iced tea. They began to talk, relaxed and natural. Both of them were happy to be talking outside of school walls, and outside the topic of anything related to the aforementioned place.

Eventually, they meandered upstairs to the game room, where Serena promptly challenged Darien to a game of air hockey. Serena ended up in a fit of deep, hearty laughs, after realizing that Darien had played air hockey only once in his life before, and had refused to go easy on him, despite his obvious handicap. Darien brought Serena into the basement, and they observed the paintings, all of them done by people their age. Serena was entranced by a blood red glass rose that was resting peacefully under a glass veil. Darien agreed, mentioning that it almost looked as beautiful as she did tonight. Serena smiled, gripping his arm as she felt a little light headed.

They ran into a crowd of people from school, most of whom Serena didn't know, but she figured were seniors, for many of them threw the pair perplexed looks, and seemed aware of Darien's presence. This was a no doubt awesome addition to her confidence as they regarded her with their prying eyes. After settling upstairs, they ended up in front of the stage, enjoying the music. Serena absently swayed back and forth, enjoying it way too much. The band was playing a catchy song that she just couldn't help but soak up. The dance floor was buzzing as couples and groups of people got down with their bad selves, the sexy soul filled song washing over the crowd. She felt a hand on her back.

"Do you want to dance?" Darien asked, gesturing towards the floor.

"I'd love it," she smiled. He returned her glance, and grabbed her hand, leading her through the crowd. Darien turned, facing her, and Serena let herself slip into synch with the song. Her hips swayed back and forth, as her hands naturally raised themselves into the air. Her feet moved in short, rhythmic steps. Darien's hands found their way around her waist, and Serena let her slinky form work up against his body. She let her hand wrap around his neck and slide down his chest. He looked down on her seductively, a smile playing at his lips as his hips worked with her own. Darien dipped her, unexpectedly, and he smiled as she laughed, spinning into his arms dramatically.

"Serena," he whispered into her ear as she wrapped herself in his arms, swinging her hips once again against him, "will you be my girlfriend?" Whoa. Talk about spontaneity. Her whole body seemed to still, processing the unfeasible question with a sufficient supply of struggle. And then, just as suddenly, it began to wash over her. Serena thought her heart was going to explode out of her chest. She turned around, facing him. He looked so open and exposed, willing to share himself with her. She nodded, moving closer.

"Absolutely." He smiled, and took her in his arms, lifting her from the ground, spinning. She yelped and entangled her arms in his dark hair. She had been right, it was like silk. Their foreheads pressed together softly.

"Darien?"

"Hmm?"

"Will you be my boyfriend?"

"I could be so lucky." The rest of the night was a blur to Serena. It felt like time was standing still as they danced.

"Where are you again?"

"We just left the teen club, and are going back to his place."

"And he's bringing you home?"

"Yep."

"Is anyone else going to be there?"

"Probably," Serena lied.

"Well, alright…I'll leave the back light on, just open it with your keys okay?"

"That's fine," she replied as evenly as possible, knowing that her mom had basically just sent her curfew to hell. She rolled her eyes at the thought of having to deal with the damn door again, but restrained herself from mentioning it. Her mom bid her goodnight, and hung up the phone. Darien looked at her inquiringly, and she gave him the thumbs up.

"When does she want you home?" he asked, his eyes flicking back and forth between the road and her face. It was 11:00 PM. They had spent nearly 5 hours at The Haven, having a good time.

"She forgot to mention that, actually," Serena frowned sarcastically, stuffing her cell in her jean pocket.

"Well, after a night like that, I think we could use some peace and quiet," he laughed, winking at her yet again. Serena agreed. Darien pulled into a large apartment complex, and entered the parking garage. He parked the car, and led her through a door into the lobby. It was lush, with stuffed armchairs and exquisite vases and tables. The receptionist greeted them and they walked through the room to the elevators. Serena stepped inside as Darien jammed the button. Apparently he lived on the 3rd floor. She stared at the golden light as it passed from floor to floor, illuminating each one in turn.

"Do you have any brothers and sisters?" Serena asked suddenly, surprised she hadn't asked him earlier, and uneasy about whether or not she was going to have to meet his family. The thick doors glided open, and she followed him down the hall. Strange, usually there were a lot more rooms on a given floor, she noted to herself. Quite suddenly, she realized how strange the entire situation was. What was his mother going to think? Her son bringing a girl whom she'd never met before into their apartment at 11 o' clock at night? It was questionable, even to Serena.

"No, it's just me," he answered, pulling out his key ring from his pocket once again, stopping at the last door in the hallway. Serena also noted that Darien didn't have nearly as much trouble unlocking his door as she did hers, damn door. Darien flicked on a light, and beckoned her through the threshold. Serena instantaneously knew why there weren't as many doors on the floor. The apartment was huge. A large spacious living room was adorned with a black leather sectional, and a big screen TV. To the left, a kitchen with dark stone counter tops and stainless steel appliances contrasted against the deep wood of the dining room table.

"This is it," he stated, kicking his shoes off in the large wood floored entryway. Serena did the same, and removed her black sweater, leaving her in the blouse like white silk tank top. Darien took it from her, hanging it up on a nearby coat rack.

"This is really nice, Darien," she mused quietly, not wanting to wake his parents.

"Why are you whispering?" he asked, looking around as if he was missing something.

"I don't want to wake anyone," she retorted, looking towards the bedroom hallway.

"There's no one else here, don't worry about that."

"Where is your family?"

"My….my parents died in a car crash 7 years ago," Darien stammered a bit uneasily. Guilt and sympathy appeared out of nowhere in Serena's chest.

"Oh Darien, I'm so sorry," she reached for his arm, taking hold of it promptly.

"Don't worry about it, I'm okay," he looked down as she rubbed his arm encouragingly. Serena was about to open her mouth with a retort, when a thought struck her.

"Then who lives here with you?" Darien laughed, at her sudden revelation.

"I'm sure you've heard of my uncle, he owns that new department chain you know? Well, he lives one door down," he said with a peculiar edge to his voice. Serena entered the living room slowly, as Darien walked into the kitchen, stretching his arms over his head.

"You mean you have this whole place to yourself? Oh my god, Darien." She couldn't help but gawk, having your own place when you were going on 18 was excellent.

"Yeah well….my uncle decided a couple of years ago that it would be best. We don't get along very well anyway," he confided. "He pays the rent until I can either afford it on my own, or move out. Anyway, you want to see the rest of the place? I want to show you something." He led the way towards the hallway, and Serena followed. She was amazed that his place was kept this immaculate. Darien pushed open a pair of double doors, and Serena found herself in his bedroom.

Framed movie posters hung on the walls, and a large bean bag chair sat in front of a much smaller fire place. A stereo rested on top of a chest of drawers, and a desk was nestled in the corner, covered with books and a computer. Darien had a luxurious bed, with gray dressings. Knit blankets were tossed casually on a chest at the foot of it. Her gaze then turned to the far wall, and she swallowed at the sight before her.

"It's really a good view, look," he opened the glass door for her and stepped out onto the balcony. The cityscape was magnificent. In the distance, skyscrapers and tall buildings glowed silver in the ominous moonlight. Serena could see the grassy sprawling hills of the downtown park less than a mile away. Stars hung low above her, and the moon winked, seemingly millions of miles closer than its normal position in the black sky.

"Oh wow," she gasped, as she rested her hands on the railing. Darien rested his back on the same railing, his arms crossed, as he watched her observe the sky.

"Beautiful isn't it?"

"Yeah, it really is," she nodded. "I'd be out here all the time if I lived here."

"I'm out here a lot. I come out here to clear my head, like I was talking about the other day. That's why I wanted you to see it." Serena smiled. Darien reached over and rested his hand on her shoulder, pointing to the sky with the other.

"Do you see Orion, the archer? There's the Lazy W, the poor queen." He showed her numerous constellations, and even told her the stories behind some of them. Serena shivered as he finished the chilling story of Cassiopia, partly because of the cold, partly because of the ending. "Let's go back in, you look cold." She conceded, and they were once again in his spacious living room. She took a seat on his very oversized, very comfortable sofa, as Darien went to the kitchen, and poured them both sodas.

"Thank you," she smiled happily at her iced soda. She hated pop in cans.

"So, how do you want to spend our time relaxing? I could attempt to beat you in a video game, though I doubt that would be wise. There's an alarming number of board games in the closet. I am quite the avid poker player, though I don't know if you are. And I do pride myself on having quite a few good movies. Or," he said, setting his soda down on the coffee table with a grin, "do I just get to stare at you all night?" Serena flushed, swallowing the ice cube she was currently sucking on, and began coughing harshly. Darien seemed to enjoy this reaction from her, and was just about to open his mouth to speak again, when Serena interrupted him.

"Movie it is! I think I'd choke before the night was over if you did that," she chuckled, only half joking. Darien laughed, and stood up, heading over to the entertainment center.

"Alright, so what type of movie are you in the mood for?" he asked, sticking his head through the cabinet door to look at all the titles on the cases. Serena shrugged.

"I'm not picky. Something interesting." She mused, thinking full well that she doubted she would care as long as she was watching it with Darien. Wrong, indeed.

"Well…how about this? It's sort of a creepy movie, not gory, just spooky, in a cool sort of way." Serena grinned nervously, her jaw clenched.

"Yeah, heh, whatever you say, sounds good!" She said through gritted teeth. Fabulous. Serena had a nasty habit of getting the crap scared out of her in these kinds of movies. She could watch things about zombies jumping out of windows onto humans, or vampires seducing the unsuspecting heroine (vampires were cool), but this stuff that could be real, that could actually happen, made her jump like a firecracker on the fourth of July.

Darien settled on the couch next to her after inserting the disk, and pushed a few buttons, cueing the credits. His presence relaxed her somewhat, and she swallowed, hoping that the presence of her big handsome boyfriend would be enough to get her through the film. That thought made her smile, and she instinctively rested her head on his shoulder. It still seemed surreal to her that he had actually asked her to be his.

As if mimicking her thoughts, Darien wrapped an arm around her shoulders, ushering her closer, so that she was snuggled comfortably up against him. She peered cautiously at the large TV, watching as more and more people became stranded at a hotel miles away from any city. The plot slowly progressed, and soon, you discovered that all the people were really multiple personalities trapped inside the head of a convicted killer. Apparently, one of the personalities was eliminating the others, killing them off. A psychiatrist insisted that the personality that resurfaced might not be the one that was homicidal.

She loosened up, watching with interest as the psychiatrist talked, her eyes wide. Serena was considering becoming a psychiatrist for a living, and this aspect of the movie fascinated her. A soft rumble came from somewhere, and she ripped her eyes away from the screen, looking upwards. She realized that Darien had laughed, no doubt at the blank stupor that had been plastered all over her face a moment before.

"Intense, isn't it?" he whispered at her round puppy dog eyes. She nodded slowly, then raised an informed finger into the air.

"Well, I'd like to do that some day. What that psychiatrist is doing, see? I think it's interesting." Darien leaned closer. Serena did not like the look on his face. He looked like he was up to something.

"You sure? I mean, look at what's happening? Looks like a scary job to me," he teased, wrapping both hands around her waist. Serena frowned, turning back, determined to prove him wrong.

"Darien, you're a chicken. If you think I'd be scared of a single dark hallway and a-YYAAAAAAAARR!" In a split second she was a foot off the surface of the couch, suspended in mid flight, arms flailing wildly.

Laughter. Thunk. "OOF!"

"Sorry!" she panted, her breathing heavy. She had landed, with a significant amount of force, on Darien's lap. "I knew this was a bad idea." Congratulations to Serena, she had just mad mistake number one. She chastised herself. Darien merely looked down at her.

"Scared yet?"

"Err….." she clenched her eyes shut. Another chuckle.

"It's okay, I'm right here," he said protectively. And without further notice, his arms wrapped around her, pulling her to his chest in a hug. Serena's eyes fluttered open, and she snaked her arms around his neck.

"Good," she replied. Taking a chance, she looked into his eyes. Mistake number two. The familiar pull tugged at her, and that glossed look began to cover Darien's eyes. A very helpful thing then occurred to Serena. She was Darien's girlfriend, he could kiss her whenever he wanted.

In one swift movement both of them moved forward, capturing the other in a forceful kiss. Serena was spinning. There was nothing better than this feeling. She could feel Darien's chest moving under her, unevenly. Her hands slipped up into his hair, and she pulled away, placing a few kisses on his neck. Darien moaned, deep and low, his hands twitching at his sides. He gave in, and ran his hands up her back, moving her lips to his once more.

Serena must have struck a soft spot, for his kisses were deeper, and sweet. His body tensed, and Serena felt a soft tickle on her lips. Taken aback, she realized it was his tongue. Her lips parted on their own. She had no control over it. It was not Serena's doing. It was certainly not her fault that Darien seized the opportunity to explore her mouth openly.

"What do you think the student body would say if they saw that?" he asked, smiling. Serena laughed.

"To hell with them."

"That's what I was thinking too," he replied huskily, and his lips were on hers. His hand slid up to her neck, the other around her waist, and he leaned forward, turning her with him. Darien let her head rest on the end of the sofa, and pressed his body into hers. Serena allowed him to explore her mouth once again, her hands still wrapped around his neck. She returned his kiss with matched passion, amazed by the feel of his skin under her hands. His hair fell forward, brushing against her nose. It was silky, and tickled. She ran her fingers through it, but her hands started moving on their own, as her lips had done earlier. When Darien's hand slipped under her blouse and ran across her stomach, she was given a sharp job towards the direction of clinically insane.

Decency began to fall out of her mind as her fingers stopped to rest on his chest, something else replacing those thoughts. She could feel his chiseled form under the black shirt, and couldn't think of anything else. Slowly, she traced the outline of the collar, and followed it down to the first button. Darien inhaled sharply as her femininity allowed her to undo all the buttons unnaturally fast. The last button was undone, and her arms reached around his waist, twisting up to his shoulders. She tugged on it gently, wanting very much to pry it off of his lean body. Darien sat up, and shrugged it off, tossing it onto the floor. Just about positive that she was dreaming, Serena shook her head, reopening her eyes. Darien smiled down at her, his head cocked to one side.

"Are you okay now?" he whispered into her ear. Serena gulped, wondering if she honestly was or not. Looking at him made her dizzy. His tanned chest and 6 packed (6 packed!) stomach were the epitome of perfection. He kissed her tenderly on the cheek, and she reached around his chest hugging him tightly.

"Darien, pinch me," she pleaded.

"What? Why?" his kisses continued to trail down her neck, leaving hot, steaming marks on her skin.

"Because I think I'm dreaming," she felt tears burn in her eyes at the thought, and she fought them back with tremendous effort. His kisses stopped, and he met her eye to eye, inches from her face.

"You are not dreaming. Though I'm flattered I'd make it into your dreams," he smiled, caressing her cheek. Serena didn't find this as amusing, and she swore as a tear managed to escape her eye. Darien's expression suddenly changed to one of fear.

"Serena, baby, don't cry. What's wrong?" he asked gently. Serena wiped angrily at her face.

"Why me? You could have anyone, I just can't believe that you actually…" her voice trailed off as she managed to choke down a sob. She closed her eyes, and they were softly touched by something gentler than anything, and she knew he had just kissed her eyelids.

"Are you kidding me? You're the most beautiful, crazy, greatest person I know. I love being with you, do you understand me?" his tone was harsh, yet gentle and loving. "I thought you were going to tell me to put my shirt back on," he winked at her, and Serena let out a sigh, a weight lifting from her chest.

"Come here, I want you to listen to something," he stood up and took her hand, leading her to his stereo. He pushed a CD in, and pushed a button or two.

I saw your teardrops and I heard you cry

All you need is time

Seek me and you shall find

You have everything and you're still lonely

It don't have to be this way

Let me show you a better day

And then you will see the morning will come

And all of your days will be bright as the sun

So all of your fears just cast them on me

how can I make you see?

I'll be your cloud up in the sky

I'll be your shoulder when you cry

I'll hear your voices when you call me

I am your angel

And when all hope is gone I'm here

No matter how far you are I'm near

It makes no difference who you are

I am your angel, I'm your angel

"You hear these words?" He asked, taking her into his arms. "This is how I feel about you." Serena rested her head oh his chest, and felt herself melt. She wanted to cry, this time out of happiness. Darien's hand reached one of her own, and he took it into his, swaying back and forth with her to the sweet music. His other hand rested in the small of her back, holding her close to him. She felt so protected, so safe, she never wanted to leave. She placed a long kiss at the bottom of his neck, to show her appreciation.

Dancing there, in Darien's moonlit apartment, being held by him, touching his bare chest, smelling his sweet scent, and hearing his loving words, Serena realized something. She was falling in love.

Time was now the most inconsistent thing in Serena's life. Every moment that she wasn't with Darien, was like an eternity, every one with him, not nearly long enough. Serena had always been a romantic person, but she had never felt this way before. Darien was the most wonderful person she had ever met. They had returned to school on Monday after spending nearly the entire weekend together, to a buzz like no other. Every corner held new whispers of the small blonde that the most desirable guy in teenage society was now dating. Somehow, though Serena really didn't understand exactly how this had happened, the whole school knew Darien and her had attended The Haven. The girls looked at her with a sense of amazement, and awe, as if they were amazed at her abilities. Serena didn't pay the slightest attention to this, wondering if Darien would take to it as kindly. And to her utter astonishment, Darien had taken her hand on that first Monday after school, and led her down the hallway, smiling and laughing with her the whole while. He later added a cherry to the sundae when he kissed her after exiting the building, no doubt letting several dozen people witness it. Serena wasn't normally one for PDA, but at this point in time, she just felt like standing in front of the gossiping girls and saying, THAT'S RIGHT LADIES! HE'S MINE, ALL MINE! AND HE DOESN'T DAMN WELL CARE IF YOU SAY DIFFERENTLY!

Unfortunately for Serena, Darien was showcasing a rather visually explicit part of their relationship near her locker one day the following week, when an unusual circumstance unfolded. She was enjoying the feeling of his arms wrapped around her waist, his head snuggled comfortably into the crook of her neck as she dug through her locker for her stuff, when a disgusted snort erupted from beside her.

"Seems you really did have alternative motives Shields, you son of a bitch," a ragged and trembling voice spat with distaste. Darien's body stiffened, and Serena turned to the source of the voice. She shouldn't have been surprised at Jake's words. She shouldn't have even been surprised that he was back in school. What did surprise her was the complete and total loathsome look that he was giving her, Serena, at that moment. She tried to ignore the fact that it had a freakishly chilling affect on her, and shook her head at his twisted words.

"Leave us alone, Jake," her words were simple and detached, and hopefully, dismissive.

"You don't know what you're doing Serena, you'll see, he's just one big so-"

"Oh, yes, Jake, Darien really is the SOB you say. Course you aren't, are you? Always got some perverted, twisted, way to defy my protests, intruding on my life, don't you? Say one more word, one more thing about Darien to me, and I swear to god I'll issue a restraining order." Serena was beyond feeling pity for him. He was sick, and just plain wrong. The words were true, and she didn't need to say anything more to him. Protectiveness was natural, expected, and every ounce of Serena wanted to protect Darien from this. Nothing would stop her from preventing it. Jake turned an unhealthy shade of stark white, his eyes merely slits, and turned on his heel, storming away from them. Darien's hands rubbed her stomach gently.

"I didn't know you could be that cruel, darling," he returned his chin to its place on her shoulder.

"He had it coming," she retorted. Darien simply kissed her softly on the cheek, and Serena knew he understood how she felt.

AN: How'd that one go? In case you are wondering, the song is I'm Your Angel, by Celine Dion and R. Kelly. Props to them. Uhm, yeah…email me, and let me know if you like some of the scenes in this chapter…I didn't know exactly how far to take some of them. Oh! How could I forget? Did the movie sound familiar? It's called Identity. Props to them for the inspiration. 


	5. Falling Into You

Weeks flew by as Serena fell deeper and deeper into her world. Blissfully, she grew closer and closer to him, taking in everything shecould about him. Her friends grew slightly annoyed by the frequent multiple hour phone conversations on week nights, and the dates that usually filled her Friday and Saturday evenings. Her parents asked her why she was spending so much time away from home. What was she supposed to say? Spilling her guts about guys wasn't exactly the type of thing she did to her parents, or friends.Darien managed to bring out a part of her that she didn't experience often. Constantly her heart ached without him, lessening only at the sound of his laugh, or the touch of his lips against hers. She craved him, and he never failed to satisfy.

It was on one of these glorious Saturdays when she was heading over to his apartment, at his request, after she got off of work. Herthoughts were not entirely focused on where she was walking, more thinking about how much she was looking for to being held close, and feeling loved. She couldn't believe how fully and truthfully Darienreturned her feelings. Serena had never, ever, felt that from someone.

Her thoughts skimmed over that for a moment, realizing how true it was. She would have made it inside Darien's apartment quickly, awayfrom the menacingly black sky, if not for a very disturbing thing happening.

"Serena?" she whirled, knowing that voice, meeting him face to face. Her heart no longer lurched at the sight of him, but seemed to revel in the fact that it was free from his torment. Speak of the devil…

"Hi."

"How..how are you?" he questioned, his eyes narrowing as if he was intent on listening, caring about her.

"Great, great…" he nodded, slowly, shoving his hands in his pockets, taking a step closer. He remained silent, and Serena sighed, knowing he was waiting for her to ask likewise. "and yourself?"

"A little disheveled. I've realized I'm a fool." Serena swallowed, knowing where this was going. She couldn't believe that she didn't even care for his friendship any longer. Months ago it meant the world to her, and now she felt like it was just like reliving a bad dream that she had finally woken up from. She had been nearly driven insane by him, smitten even, but it was just so, so different now.

"Look, Troy, I-"

"Just hear me out, please?"

"Troy I…I've moved on, I'm sorry," she cut him off, hoping to spare him the embarrassment he had not spared her in times past.

"I heard…Shields lives here, eh? Nice digs…" Serena felt her resistance tremble as he looked up to the blackening sky painfully, knowing how he felt.

"Then why are you here?" he returned his gaze to her, and he rested a hand on the back of his neck. Serena knew what that meant.

"I….this is going to sound ridiculous…Serena I know you don't want to be friends anymore, and I can understand that, but I can't stop thinking about it. I need closure, or I won't be able to stop…" his hands removed themselves from his pockets, as he took another step her way.

"Well I don't know how to give it to you, I've never gotten any."

"Damnit, Serena, I just need…"

"Need what?"

"This." He captured her, caught completely off guard. His kiss was remorseful, and soft. Serena felt herself reeling, and raised a protesting hand, but Troy met it with his own, pulling away from her.

"Don't….I'm so sorry…for everything….you were there for me when others were not. I just realized too late that I didn't do the same foryou. Goodbye Serena," he kissed her once on the forehead, as if sealing the ends of the relationship she had so long considered her gift, and her curse. His back turned, and he was gone, his hands once more in his pockets as he walked down the street, the icy wind blowing at his retreating form.

Her chest tightened painfully, tears swelling in her eyes, at the finality of what had just happened. Before Darien, Serena had never met someone else who understood and connected with her as well in her life. She turned, running a hand sorrowfully through her hair. It was then that she saw him, standing like a statue against the cement building. Serena froze.

"Darien I-"

"Hey, it's okay, I saw what happened. Who was he?"

"An…an old friend." She brushed off the question, thinking it best not to tell him the details of their past relationship years ago. Darien sensed her obvious discomfort, and beckoned her into his arms.

"Are you alright?" he asked, after holding her close for a few moments.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she said, making sure no more tears escaped her wind blown eyes.

"Come on, I made you some hot chocolate," he opened the door for her, and they walked to the elevator. It began to move, and they remained silent. A very prominent lump formed in the back of Serena's throat, and she and fought with every inch of her being to keep herself from crying. Darien didn't seem to notice, and was explaining to her enthusiastically the new things he had done in his apartment. His words floated through her head, her thoughts elsewhere. A silent tear finally managed to slip over, trailing down her cheek mournfully. He stopped talking abruptly.

"Serena what….why are you crying?"

"He….he was my best friend, Darien. We were like peanut butter and jelly…the perfect pair, always laughing. It just..fell apart, I couldn't take it anymore, and I stopped trying….and he just…I just…it's just hard to think that after all these years he's not in my life anymore," she choked, as another tear fell onto the floor. She wanted reassurance, wanted him to tell her that she had done the right thing.

"I don't know if I did the right thing…" she looked up into his eyes, searching for guidance. She found something very different instead.

"Neither do I," he replied icily. Serena instantly knew then, that she had made a fateful mistake. His eyes held a look she had never seen in them before.

"Darien, don-"

"DON'T WHAT SERENA? ARE YOU REALLY SURE YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING HERE! YOUR BEST FRIEND? IF YOU TWO WERE THAT GREAT TOGETHER, GO AFTER HIM!" his words exploded in a fit of pain. She flinched at his voice, powerful and angry. He had never yelled at her before.

"Darien I-"

"I'M SURE YOU DO! WHAT AM I IF HE'S YOUR PERFECT PARTNER!"

"Darien, you're my best friend now, and you're my pair! He's nothing compared to what you are to me!"

"I SURE AS HELL DON'T FEEL LIKE IT!" his hands clenched the rail with alarming strength, and Serena distinctly thought she saw a tear escape down his cheek bone. Hers weren't slowing either, and worsened at the sight of him in despair.

"I'm sorry I said that, it just hurts to lose a friend! You are everything to me, and I…" her words were lost as he raised his head, meeting her distressed gaze. His eyes were cold and narrowed, tears falling slowly down his face as he clenched his jaw determinedly, hands still graspingthe rail.

"Then why are you second guessing your decision?" he whispered, his voice barely audible, as if he would break down if he spoke any louder.

"I don't regret it….I just feel like a part of me is gone now…friends take a piece of you with them everywhere, and now I'll never get it back," Darien shook his head, slowly.

"No Serena," he breathed, "but it takes someone special to steal a piece of your soul. A friend may hold a piece of your heart, but not your soul, not the thing that cries out to another," at his words Serena felt herself stop breathing, and she'd be damned if her heart was still beating in her cold, broken chest. The elevator chimed open, and Darien left, heading quickly down the hall towards his apartment. She followed, close behind.

"Darien please," she felt herself begging, pleading for him. She wanted to drop to her knees and do whatever he wished her. He paused at the doorway, turning to look at her once more, but still, he said nothing. His stained face was strained from sadness. "Please Darien, you have to understand how much you mean to me!" she was hardly holding back her sobs now, barely able to will her lungs to take in air.

"And how much is that?" he asked, his eyes blankly staring at the wall behind her. Serena took as deep a breath as she could make herself.

"I love you." His head snapped up, eyes darting across her face with amazement. She could feel him wanting to say it back, his mouth opened, and closed again. Darien clenched his eyes shut, as if restraining himself, and to Serena's complete and total horror, backed into the apartment, sealing the door with a click.

Dread. She could feel her heart shattering into thousands of pieces, the splinters impaling themselves painfully in her lungs. Serena did the only thing she could do at that moment. She ran. She ran down the stairs, out the extravagant lobby. She ran across the street, through oncoming traffic. She ran down the sidewalk, and she ran, until she could run no more.

As her feet touched the grassy land of the park, her legs gave way, and she tumbled forward onto the cold ground. Icy rain was now pouring down her, soaking her to the bone. Serena didn't bother to pick herself up. Lying there, with her face pressed against the earth, she lost it. Realization hit her like a punch in the face, and suddenly she was crying in deep, heaving sobs, that shook her entire body. She pulled herself up, bracing herself against a wooden bench. Lightning cackled menacingly above her, and she looked up, meeting it face to face. The rainwater mixed with her tears, and she coughed as they fell down her throat.

Such a fool she was. Why had she burdened Darien with her thoughts? She should have known that they obviously would have hurt himdeeply. If she was the slightest bit intelligent anymore, she would have noted that before opening her incredibly ignorant mouth. Darien was the best thing that had ever happened to her. He had pulled her out of the biggest slump in her life, turned her grades around, and restored her confidence. He was loving, sweet, and understood her like no one else except Troy had ever, and she just had to mention that last fact. That last, hellish, bitch of a fact. Tory had used her, played her, just yearned for attention, and when he didn't get it from any of his first picks, then and only then was Serena first on his list. Darien was so much more. She loved him. God damn how she loved him.

Serena slammed her fist down on the bench, her skin slicing open as it caught the edge of a loose nail, but she didn't feel the pain. She cast her eyes onto the dark waters of the lake, rippling savagely as the storm raged. She had just lost the one man she had truly, truly loved. Her life was over. Her soul was split, her heart broken, but here she was, still living. Living. What was living if the one thing she had ever wanted just vanished? What point was there in going on if her dreams were broken, her hopes gone, leaving her just an emptyshell? There was none. Her love was gone.

Her feet started moving, taking her towards the midnight blue water. Her mind was blank as it came closer and closer, urging her forward. Just as her foot was about to sink into its murky depths, a voice called out to her.

"Taking a late night dip, Serena?" oh lord, she didn't want company. She really, really did not want company. If she was going to do this, there had to be no one around that could foil it. She whirled around, and met Jake's penetrating stare. He moved towards her, until he was merely inches away.

"Yes," her voice was hollow, and an eerie monotone. Jake's eyes glided over her face, and came to rest on her eyes. He raised a hand, brushing a few stray tears off her cheeks caked with dirt.

"You're crying. Crying for whom?" she didn't answer, just stood, lifeless before him. "Shields isn't it?" he cried, mockingly. "I told you he was bad news Serena," his words cut into her stomach, as more tears fell.

"He's not…."

"Look at you! He rejected you! He hurt you! How long is it going to take you to realize he isn't the one for you?"

"Darien is the only one for me." Jake yelled out in frustration at her statement.

"No, Serena. I'm the only one for you, and I'm tired of waiting for you to realize it," his voice was sinister, and controlling. Even in her distraught state, Serena could tell, and took a cautious step backward, after realizing one more would leave her drowning in the lake. It didn't seem as inviting as it had moments ago. Jake took the last step towards her, a frightening fire burning in his eyes. His hand flew out, encircling both of her wrists behind her back, and he pulled her close. Serena could feel him breathing in the scent of her, and he wrapped his other hand around her neck.

"Jake, do-"

"Admit it Serena. A part of you wants me."

"I love Darien," she spoke clearly, her heart aching. Her words sent him over the edge, and the hand around her neck pulled forward, forcing her roughly onto the wet ground. Serena moaned in pain as his knees pinned her feet, her legs arched, one arm holding her by the throat. He leaned forward, his lips running down her neck.

"I've waited a long time for you, and I'm going to have you, one way or the other." His free hand trailed down her neck and to her chest, and her breath became ragged. Gruffly, he pulled against her shirt, splitting the material as his hand reached between her breasts and under her bra. Her breath caught as her grabbed her chest hard. He reached around her back, pulling angrily at the clasp of her bra before sliding it up her arms and over her head. Serena closed her eyes as his tongue found its way to her breasts, his hands sliding up and down her now naked torso. She felt so useless, so pitiful. Jake's hands began to knead her chest again, and she winced in pain, crying out into the night. He laughed.

"Feel good?" one of his hands began to trail up her calf, and he forced her legs apart as it continued up her thigh. Revoltingly, his fingers began prying open the button on her pants, and made short work of the zipper. He reached between her legs and seized the back of her pants, yanking them down to her ankles. Serena thought she was going to be sick.

"Jake…stop, please…" she cried in agony, her body quaking violently.

"No no my dear, we haven't even gotten to the best part!" he protested, once more sliding the hand up her leg. Serena began to cry. Darien wouldn't want her anymore. She was a raunchy, twisted, broken girl, and she had let herself fall into this all on her own.

"Well now these are pretty," he whispered hotly into her ear as he reached her lacy black underwear. Serena instantly wished she had worn something less appealing. "Shall we see what's behind them?" a shout of protest erupted as he forced his fingers inside of her. Serena could feel hot tears burning down her face as he shoved his hand into her deeper and deeper. He began to force her pelvis up and down with his movements, and groaned as he removed his wet fingers, running them along her inner thigh. The touch seemed to burn and blister her skin. He licked her upper thigh, as his hand slid down her side and to her hips, pulling down her underwear. He flattened his torso against hers, spreading her stiffened legs apart with his own. Serena felt himreach between them and unzip his own pants. She only then realized what he was doing.

"NO!" she screamed, struggling with all her might under his weight. "YOU CAN'T!" There was only one person Serena would give herself too, and the thought of another taking that from her made her want to die. She screamed and pushed against him. Jake grabbed her jaw, and crushed his lips against hers, once more moving between the both of them. She couldn't breathe as she pulled away from his kiss, her chest jerking up and down erratically. "YOU ARE NOT DARIEN!" she felt herself reach out, longing to be with him, free from this monster.Bracing herself for the worst as she felt something against her, her sobs grew worse, and she felt all hope leave her. Her struggles died, as her strength disappeared, her body tired and whipped.

Serena had almost resorted to giving up, when suddenly, as though her prayers had been answered, he was off of her. And she knew, without a doubt, that he was here. Her head felt like a two ton weight, but she ifted it, her body cold and numb as she watched the scene before her. He was here. He had saved her. There were no words exchanged this time. Darien was throwing punch after punch, each one slamming into Jake with a force that frightened Serena. Their black shadows were silhouettes against the reflective lake. As if in slow motion, Jake fell, twisting backwards unnaturally. He hit the ground with a horrid clamor.

Darien stood there, above him for a moment, his chest heaving, clouds of air visibly escaping his lungs in the cold. He turned, looking on her, the pain in his eyes intense. He walked to her, stumbling slightly. Serena shuddered as he wrapped his arms around her shoulders, pulling her to his chest, sheltering her from the rain. And then she broke. She sobbed into his shoulder, her body feeling dirty, and disgusting.

"You came," she wheezed. Her voice was strained and raspy. Darien pulled away, removing the shirt off of his own back. He slipped it over her head, the large shirt coming down to her thighs.

"Of course I did." Serena still didn't stop shaking, and he drew her to his neck tenderly. Her watery eyes were peeking over his shoulder. Movement caught her eyes, and they darted to where Jake had been laying moments ago. He was gone. She looked around, knowing she had just seen something. Out of nowhere, he flew, something silver glinting in his outstretched hand. Serena suddenly realized what it was.

"DARIEN LOOK OUT!" she shrieked, petrified. Darien's head turned, ever so slightly, releasing his hold on her. In on swift movement Darien ducked, flipping Jake by the arm onto the ground, the silver dagger flying from his hand. He reached down, picking him up by the collar of his shirt, causing Jake's feet to dangle precariously.

"If you ever, EVER, come within 10 feet of this girl again, I will kill you, do you understand me?" his voice was a growl, low and menacing. Serena groaned, her knee aching with pain. She knew Darien had not made an idle threat. He hurtled Jake onto the ground, and watched, as he stood and ran, retreating into the dark night. He knelt beside her again, tears stinging his eyes.

"Serena…are you…are you…did he..?" he choked as he tried to form the words, picking her up and holding her against his bare chest. Serena shook her head, nuzzling into his neck, as she held the shirt against her. Darien swallowed, relief flooding over him. "Oh thank god.." he whispered hoarsely. He rocked her back and forth, and turned, heading back towards the apartment building, with Serena hanging sickeningly from his arms.

Finally they were back in his apartment. The walls made Serena regain the slightest bit of security. Darien set her carefully on the sofa, before grabbing a blanket and putting it on her shoulders like a shawl. His presence was what helped her the most. She brought her knees to her chest, forming a blanketed ball, and rested her head on his chest as she stared blankly into space.

"Darien…" she breathed, her voice ghostly, "I let it happen, I let him, I'm so sorry I ran, I shouldn't have said.." a finger pressed lightly against her lips. He leaned forward, his head bent, dark wet hair falling from his face.

"Don't you dare. My god, Serena, I can't begin to tell you how horrible I feel for losing my temper with you. But the thought of another sharing you, connecting with you, I just got so jealous…I'm just so glad you're okay…I wish I could have gotten there sooner." Tears fell from his eyes, landing softly on Serena's cheek, and he squeezed them shut. She turned in the blanket, placing herself on his lap.

"You saved me, from everything." He nodded, his face buried in her hair as he cried, silently. "Without you, I would have nothing to fight for. No reason to survive, no reason to succeed. This…well…what happened, it made me realize and admit that..that I really love you, Darien," she spoke as steadily as possible, despite her trembling frame. He lifted his head from her hair at her words, Serena felt him shudder, and ll at once, his lips were on hers, gently, softly.

"I love you too Serena…more than anything else," he held her from him, his eyes looking over her body with difficulty. The button up shirt she wore exposed part of her collar bone, and his trained eyes could see the beginnings of a dark bruise. His fingers slowly touched the buttons, undoing them one by one. He pulled the shirt open, cautiously. The sight before him made him sick to his stomach.

Serena inhaled slowly as his fingers ran over the welts and knots on her chest. She was sure they were atrocious. Not wanting to look, she kept her eyes on his face, watching as his eyes flashed with anger, guilt, and grief, in turn.

"Oh Serena….baby…look at what he did to you.." his voice cracked. Serena did not want to look. Ever so slowly, she stared down at her ragged body. Purple bruises covered her chest, bloody scratches running down the length of her torso. Dirt covered her skin, and bite marks were evident on her breasts. She felt her stomach lurch repulsively, and doubled over.

"I think I'm going to be sick," she managed. She stumbled to the bathroom, knocking over a side table with a shatter. Her head felt like it was going to split in two. Collapsing helplessly in front of the toilet, she felt his hand touch her back, as he knelt beside her. Serena vomited violently, coughing as she heaved, utterly disgusted with herself. Darien remained by her side, whispering sweetly that everything would be alright. After what felt like hours, she fell backwards into his arms, exhausted.

"Darien…"

"You're still beautiful to me. Why don't you take a shower?" he asked lovingly. Serena smiled despite herself, at his attitude. He was wonderful. Her voice was groggy as she spoke.

"Okay…" He kissed her on the forehead, before exiting and reentering with a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt, both of which the smallest pair of each he owned.

"Will you be okay?" he asked, setting the clothing on the bathroom counter. Serena stood up, on wobbly legs. Her knee still throbbed painfully.

"S-stay with me," she pleaded. Darien swallowed. How could he deny her that request? He nodded, numbly, and turned around, his cheeks reddening despite himself. A soft flutter signaled the no doubt dropping of the over sized shirt to the floor. His palms became sweaty. The shower door slid open and closed, its hazy glass leaving only adistorted view of the beauty in his presence, and he turned again. He exhaled slowly, and slid down the tiled wall onto the floor.

Water burst from the shower head, and steam floated from above the doors. The water rushed over Serena, its temperature hotter than she normally had it. She hadn't wanted Darien to leave. Being alone scared her, and being without him scared her even more so. The searing liquid hurt against the cuts and scratches, but eased her sore muscles. Groping blindly around the shower, she found a bottle of shampoo, and grinned as she lathered her hair up into a huge foaming mass. It felt good to be clean. Humming drearily to herself, she ran her fingers through her hair, soaking it now with conditioner. Darien had good taste, she smelled quite good, even if it was a manly scent.

After rinsing her hair thoroughly, she decided that she needed some face scrub. Doubting that he would have any, as it was a rather feminine thing to own, she glanced at the shower rack inquiringly. For a guy, he had a rather impressive repertoire. She picked up a bottle, and shrugged, figuring it was most likely a wash, as it was definitely not shampoo or conditioner. She happily poured it into her hand, and ran it across her face. It tingled, though it smelled really good. It smelled like Darien did after he showered. She smiled more broadly, and continued her scrub. The tingling sensation began to spread, and it seemed to be growing more and more intense. Intense? Hell this was downright painful. It burned. Her face was fucking burning! Serena screamed at this thought, and shook her head frantically in the water. It persisted. She did the only thing any normal girl would have done.

"DAAAARIEEEEEN!" she smacked into the wall, blindly. Darien, unbeknownst to Serena, had been rather annoyed with himself for enjoying the fact that she was showering in his bathroom. She had been assaulted, and still, he couldn't help but gawk. Despicable, absolutely despicable. So when her shriek filled the room with alarming range, he was up against the closed shower door in an instant, frantic.

"Serena what happened! Are you hurt!"

"MY FACE!"

Slam

"What is wrong with your face, love?"

"I DON'T KNOW, IT WON'T RINSE OFF!"

Crash

"What won't rinse off?"

"SOME STUFF IN A BOTTLE! IT SMELLS LIKE YOUR COLOGNE!"

Bang

"FUCKING WALL!" Serena cursed, stretching her hands out in front of her. She distinctly thought she heard Darien chuckle to himself.

"ARE YOU LAUGHING AT ME!" she roared.

"Serena…baby…you just put on my aftershave…"

"WELL WHY WON'T IT COME OFF!"

"You probably used too much….there should be some cooling lotion on the rack in there, put some of that on, and hold a cool washcloth to your face," he instructed, in midst of her fury.

"I CAN'T SEE ANYTHING! IT'S IN MY EYES! DID YOU THINK I WAS WALKING INTO THE WALL FOR THE FUN OF IT!"

"Well, er…."

"JUST HAND ME THE STUFF!"

"Serena, it's in the shower with you…I can't jus-"

"DARIEN, MY FACE IS BURNING OFF!"

"Alright, you come out, and I'll go in and get it…"

"FINE, GIVE ME A TOWEL!"

"Okay, I'll go find one.."

"NO!"

"What!"

"I CAN'T WAIT FOR YOU TO GO SEARCHING FOR A TOWEL!"

"Well I can't ju-"

"YOU SURE AS HELL CAN, MY FACE IS GOING NUMB!" she bellowed. Thestuff felt acidic! How could men do this? Darien bit his lip nervously. Cautiously, he slid open the shower door. The shower rack, of course, was on the opposite wall. He stuck his hand in, his head still outside the doors. Stretching with all the ability he could muster, he cursed when his finger tips came within an inch of the bottle.

"Serena, I can't reach the b-bottle" he gasped, straining for the rack.

"DARIEN, GET. IN. THIS. SHOWER." What choice did he have? Slowly, he stepped into the wet shower, the water splattering against his jeans. Serena was on her knees, in the opposite end of the shower, her back to him. Darien blushed feverishly at the sight of her hunched form. Finding the bottle of cooling lotion quickly, he snatched up a washcloth draped across the nozzle. The water liquid spilled onto the cloth easily, and Darien took a step towards her.

"Here, Sere, it's right here," Darien held the washcloth next to her. Serena's hands groped around, searching for his. "Where did you get it on you?"

"All over my face and neck…I thought it was body wash!" she let out an exasperated sigh, and turned around, allowing Darien to see the damage, and treat it. She drew herself up to her full height, and Darien felt a very prominent lump form in his throat, as he forced his eyes to glue themselves to her face. And what a face it was. By the looks of it, Serena had nearly put a handful of aftershave over her eyes, nose, chin, everywhere. Her skin was red and swollen from her incessant rubbing. Using the washcloth, he gently touched it to her cheeks, and nose, and finally her brow line and forehead. Her eyes, which had previously been squeezed shut to the point that it looked painful, opened millimeter by millimeter, revealing blood shot orbs. Darien chuckled softly. This poor girl!

"Oh thank heaven….Christ, I thought I wouldn't have any skin left," she huffed, touching her face with her fingers. They brushed against Darien's, and she rested her hands on his.

"How are you feeling? Did the shower help?" he asked, noting the fact that her hands had just seemed to notice that arms and a torso were attached to his aiding fingers.

"Yeah, the heat feels good on my muscles…but there's something wrong with my knee, I think it's sprained or something," she cringed as she tried to move it, her eyes still closed. Darien felt his mouth grow dry. He was planning on being a doctor when he was older, and had taken many classes on the subject already. He had confidence that he could identify a sprain, and knew that if it was indeed sprained, she should not be standing on it.

"I should look at it, you shouldn't be standing on it if it is sprained," he struggled out, wondering what he was getting himself into. Serena nodded, lifting her leg. Her thigh brushed against his, and Darien winced at the touch. Bad idea….bad, bad, idea. Tentatively, he reached downwards, his eyes following suit, as he ignored the space between her face and knee. He applied a bit of pressure to the joint, and Serena trembled in pain. He could feel the distressed ligament, and frowned.

"I think it's sprained," his voice gurgled slightly, as the water splashed into his face. Serena groaned. Just what she needed. Her sturdy leg wobbled, and her hands found their way to Darien's bare shoulders in attempt to maintain her balance. Darien goggled at the sight of her flat stomach, complete with adorable belly button, in front of him. Her eyes squeaked the last bit open, and were met by an extremely sexy looking chest. A bare, wet, and muscular chest, to be exact.

"Fabulous," she whispered, more so in reaction to what met her gaze than his diagnosis. He looked down on her, his dark locks falling into his eyes as the water ran down his body. Serena blushed. He was gorgeous. Her hands continued their plight of exploration, running around his stomach, and up his back. Darien stared down, a familiar flame flickering through his eyes. Unable to deny himself a moment longer, he swept her towards him into a hungry kiss. He moaned at the feeling of her against him, and felt his senses go haywire.

"I love you," he hummed into her ear, his hands roaming over her back. Serena felt her heart swell.

"I know…and Darien?"

"Hmm?" he mumbled, his voice muffled as her buried himself against her skin.

"I love you more," he laughed, and pulled her up against him, Serena giggling happily to herself.

So, that's it! It all happened, every horrible, wonderful, incredible detail. Life is strange. Sometimes, all you can do is try to make it one more day, and hang on with all your might. Good and bad things happen, slumps are expected, and the great moments are hard to come by. Perhaps, all you can do is live, striving for something more, awaiting your purpose. As for me, I found mine. He saved me from grief, and willed me to live, all because he loved me. I owe it all to him. My love, my deliverance.

Oh! I'm sure you're wondering what happened in the shower? Well…I did say I owed him didn't I? Why don't I put it this way ladies….how would you repay your half naked boyfriend if he just so happened to hop into a shower with you?

AN: FIN. That's it folks. I'm not going to lie and say that I thought this was an excellent read, because it's not. Nothing extraordinary happened in it. It's about nothing, and the life that so normally goes along with it! Review, and take it easy. Love to you all, and thanks for stickin' through to the end, however hard it was. Please review, you guys.


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